Austrian Elections & Politics 2.0 (Presidential runoff re-vote: 4 Dec. 2016)

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

So let's say Van Der Bellen becomes president and FPÖ then becomes the largest party in the next general election and ÖVP agrees to enter into a coalition with them. How would that whole situation be handled, if VdB stands firm on his promise to not to swear in Strache as chancellor, how that crisis be handled? Is there a way for parliament to force the president to accept the majority's chancellor candidate, or would it cause new elections, or would the whole thing just end in a stalemate where it isn't possible to namne a new government?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

   One would think that Griss would have made a strong runoff candidate, as she had a centrist profile and thus could win support from the center and left against Hofer.

Griss would probably had a chance to defeat Hofer as she appears to be an acceptable person to all camps of Austrian voters. Van der Bellen on the other hand is tied to impopular pro-immigration policies that are very off with the current mood in all European electorates which makes it very hard for me to even see him coming close to defeating Hofer.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Jean-Claude Juncker (President of the European Commission) endorses VdB.

That's it, RIP Van der Bellen! Juncker gives his endorsement kiss of death. All hail president Hofer.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Yes it works. Thank goodness Austrian politicians don't care about copyright laws.

During British general elections the BBC election coverage stream can actually be watched from abroad so it seams public networks in general aren't that squeamish about it when it comes to election coverage.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Btw Tender, voting hours in Austria really suck. In what civilized democracy does polls close at 5 pm? Even 6 pm as it is in Germany is ridiculous. Polls should be open from 8 am to 8 pm should be as a minimum. 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Tender is there an official website where it's possible to follow results as they come in?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

What is the theory or explanation for why a VdeB does so much better with postal ballots?

I can't speak to Austria in particular, but postal ballots in general are usually dominated by "vulnerable" sections of society. i.e. people who work long, strange hours, ailing people, immigrants, disabled people, ect. These are the people who can't get to the polls to vote on election day and these types of demographics tend to vote for the more left-wing candidate.

Maybe in America. In Europe they tend to be well-off citizens living abroad, people with high education, and the sort off people who think they're too important to actually go and que at the polling-place at election day. In Sweden for example the Moderates and the Greens are the primary beneficiaries of postal ballots while the Social Democrats tend to fare dreadfully in them. 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Austrian election officials need to take a chill pill, or they will end in a mental facility due to stress - even before the election takes place ...

Considering the court ruling on the last election it's not really surprising that they are a bit tense. I mean... you don't want to go through a THIRD Hofer vs. Van Der Bellen election now do you???

Well actually, you probably would like to see that, but I'm pretty sure the general public who are not die-hard Austrian politicos don''t share the enthusiasm.