This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37336947
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Austria presidential election: Faulty envelope glue delays re-run | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Austrian government has been forced to postpone a re-run of the presidential election after voters complained of faulty envelopes. | The Austrian government has been forced to postpone a re-run of the presidential election after voters complained of faulty envelopes. |
| Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said the issue over an ineffective sealing mechanism could not be fixed in time for voting on 2 October. | Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said the issue over an ineffective sealing mechanism could not be fixed in time for voting on 2 October. |
| The election will now take place on 4 December. | The election will now take place on 4 December. |
| A re-run of May's vote was ordered after the far-right Freedom Party challenged the result. | A re-run of May's vote was ordered after the far-right Freedom Party challenged the result. |
| The announcement comes after ineffective adhesive strips on envelopes, making them insecure, raised concerns about the validity of ballot papers. | The announcement comes after ineffective adhesive strips on envelopes, making them insecure, raised concerns about the validity of ballot papers. |
| Mr Sobotka said on Monday that he had no choice but to ask parliament to introduce a new law allowing the election to be postponed over the technical issue. | Mr Sobotka said on Monday that he had no choice but to ask parliament to introduce a new law allowing the election to be postponed over the technical issue. |
| Under Austrian law, the rescheduling of a presidential election is subject to strict terms, such as the death of a candidate. | Under Austrian law, the rescheduling of a presidential election is subject to strict terms, such as the death of a candidate. |
| Former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen, standing as an independent, and the Freedom Party's Norbert Hofer both said they had expected the election to be delayed. | Former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen, standing as an independent, and the Freedom Party's Norbert Hofer both said they had expected the election to be delayed. |
| The announcement could favour Mr Van der Bellen, whose left-leaning pro-European policies appeal to younger voters, with some 15-year-olds unable to vote in May able to cast their ballots in December. | |
| Mr Van der Bellen beat Mr Hofer by just 31,000 votes among the 4.64 million cast in May's election. | Mr Van der Bellen beat Mr Hofer by just 31,000 votes among the 4.64 million cast in May's election. |
| But Austria's highest court annulled the result after a challenge from the Freedom Party, which claimed that postal votes had been illegally and improperly handled. | |
| In two weeks of hearings, lawyers for the Freedom Party alleged that thousands of votes were opened earlier than permitted and counted by people unauthorised to do so. | |
| The party also claimed that some under-16s and foreigners had been allowed to vote. | |
| The court ruled that election rules had been broken in a way that could have influenced the result, although it said there was no proof that the count had been manipulated. | |
| Vying to lead Austria | Vying to lead Austria |
| Norbert Hofer | Norbert Hofer |
| Alexander Van der Bellen | Alexander Van der Bellen |
Previous version
1
Next version