National Council election

Norbert Sieber unofficial preferred vote emperor

ÖVP National Councillor Norbert Sieber won over the voters.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

5309 preferential votes catapulted the ÖVP candidate to first place on the northern regional list. FPÖ top candidate Herbert Kickl was clearly ahead of Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) on the federal list in Vorarlberg.

The matter of preferential votes was not so easy in the Ländle on Sunday. These were awarded on three lists. On the federal list, Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) was clearly ahead of ÖVP top candidate Karl Nehammer (2052) with 3521. Third place did not go to Green Party leader Werner Kogler (582), but to his party colleague Leonore Gewessler (1890). SPÖ leader Andi Babler (1117) was just ahead of ÖVP local hero Magnus Brunner (1103) and NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger (1054).

On the provincial list - the list on which the Vorarlberg candidates, especially those of the SPÖ, NEOS and Greens, could have overtaken each other - Magnus Brunner (1835) and Green National Councillor Nina Tomaselli (1217) were convincing. Thomas Spalt (FPÖ) won 804 preferential votes and Johannes Gasser (NEOS) 760. Antonio Della Rossa and Martin Staudinger of the SPÖ, which had declared a preferential vote campaign, were almost tied with 562 and 527 preferential votes respectively. This was probably due to the ambiguous electoral system, as Staudinger received 2128 votes on the regional list (Della Rossa 1499) - but this was of little help to him, as the smaller parties only have the chance to enter parliament via the national list.

Keyword regional list: The "preferred vote emperor" Norbert Sieber from the ÖVP (5309) reigns alone at the top, followed by FPÖ National Councillor Thomas Spalt (2588), Nina Tomaselli (2140) and Johannes Gasser (2134).