Presidential Election, 25 April 2010

In response to an invitation from Austria's Permanent Mission to the OSCE, ODIHR deployed an election assessment mission on 11 April to assess the 25 April presidential election. This was the first ODIHR mission deployed to Austria for national elections.

Headed by by Julian Peel Yates of the United Kingdom, the mission consisted of 11 election experts from 10 OSCE participating States. Mission experts visited all nine federal provinces during their assessment mission. 

According the the final assessment report: "This election was administered in an efficient and professional manner and commanded a high level of public confidence. The nature of the contest in which three of the five parliamentary parties declined to field candidates to challenge a popular incumbent president, limited voter choice and contributed to a low-key  campaign, lacking vigorous debate. Turnout was reported at 53.57 per cent, markedly lower than in 2004."