Yup, it’s the 23rd alright, today is voting day in Vienna. Rroughly 1,1 million people are permitted to vote this time, of which a bit more than 710.000 are expected to turn in a valid vote. The last time, in 2001, the social democrats got their absolute majority, followed by the conservatives, the green party, the far-right freedom party, and some minor groups like the communists of the obligatory “funny name” parties (Anyone remeber the “Fanclub Bill Clinton Handybörse” party? I really liked their political program - public whipping of corrupt politicians and floor heating for the Kärntner Straße, for example.) Probably one of the most interesting things about the last vote was that the green party managed to snatch one district - Neubau - from the social democracts, their first district here in Vienna.

Things have changed a bit since then. The freedom party split in two, with their scion, the BZÖ/BZW, having little to no change of getting access into the municipal council - they’re expected to end up with