Top Candidates Cast Their Votes in Graz and Express Confidence

For the FPÖ, top candidate René Apfelknab cast his vote at 9:00 a.m. at the Volksschule Graz-Neuhart in the Wetzelsdorf district. Prior to that, he had undertaken an early morning hike up the Buchkogel, as he reported in an attributed statement: „Ich habe schon eine frühe Wanderung auf den Buchkogel gemacht". Apfelknab also stated that he had given himself a preference vote.

Personal Insights on Election Day

The Greens' top candidate Judith Schwentner voted at the Volksschule Krones in central Graz, accompanied by her husband Thomas Wolkinger. Her campaign slogan was „Grün statt grau", as she herself summarized in a slogan.

ÖVP top candidate Kurt Hohensinner cast his vote at 10:00 a.m. together with his family at the Bäckerei Kern in the Waltendorf district. The incumbent city councillor for sport and education reported with a smile that his son had woken him in the 75th minute to watch the decisive phase of the football match Austria against Algeria: „In der 75. Minute hat mich mein Sohn aufgeweckt, und wir haben uns dann die entscheidende Phase angeschaut. Es war fast unglaublich, was sich da abgespielt hat." In a further statement he added: „Das X passt jetzt schon einmal, weil das Österreich weiterbringt. Jetzt brauchen wir noch ein X für die Grazer Volkspartei."

KPÖ Ahead of SPÖ, ÖVP and NEOS

The KPÖ was prominently represented in the morning. City councillor Claudia Schönbacher (KFG) voted at 8:00 a.m. at the „Don Bosco" polling station in the Gries district. Mayor Elke Kahr, who is considered the favorite to win the election according to polls, cast her vote shortly before 10:30 a.m. at the Oeverseegymnasium, also in the Gries district, accompanied by her partner Franz Stephan Parteder. Kahr expressed the hope that election night would not be as exciting as the Austria vs. Algeria match: „Hoffentlich wird es nicht so spannend wie Österreich gegen Algerien". She wished for a strengthened KPÖ but did not trust the polls: „Natürlich wünsche ich mir eine gestärkte KPÖ."

SPÖ top candidate Doris Kampus cast her vote late on Sunday morning at the ABZ Andritz, accompanied by her husband Daniel. She expressed confidence: „Ich bin sehr, sehr zuversichtlich, schließlich haben wir seit 38 Jahren immer verloren, wenn auch von einem sehr hohen Niveau ausgehend", referring to the era of the SPÖ as the mayor's party. Federal and state politicians, namely Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and National Council member Max Lercher, had supported her sufficiently. Kampus, too, had followed the international match in the morning and shared the excitement in the 96th minute, as she commented with the exclamation „Das gibt's ja nicht！"

NEOS top candidate Philipp Pointner voted at a clubhouse near the Mariatrost pond in the Mariatrost district and afterwards treated himself, according to his own account, to a scoop of raspberry sorbet. He appeared relaxed: „Wir haben fünf Jahre gut gearbeitet. Da ist man dann am großen Tag nicht mehr nervös, sondern voller Freude". Temperatures reached around 28 degrees Celsius by 9:00 a.m. on election day.

Dispute Over Fairness Agreement

On the sidelines of election day, the ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens, and NEOS criticized the KPÖ with a joint declaration. The four parties accused the KPÖ of violating a jointly negotiated fairness agreement because it had engaged in party propaganda in front of polling stations: „Mit großem Befremden nehmen wir zur Kenntnis, dass sich die KPÖ nicht an das gemeinsam ausverhandelte Fairnessabkommen für die Grazer Gemeinderatswahl hält." The four parties called on the KPÖ to remove the relevant posters immediately and to abide by the agreement.