Floods in Austria complicate EU elections, polling stations destroyed

Anyone who wanted to leave the house to go to the polling station on the day of the 2024 European Parliament elections in Austria faced difficulties in some places, as several polling stations were inaccessible or destroyed due to flooding. The heavy rainfall particularly affected polling stations in Styria, a province on the border with Slovenia.

According to the Austrian news agency APA, polling stations in Deutschfeistritz north of Graz and in the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district were affected. Local media reported that the responsible municipal administrations reacted "very quickly" and moved the polling stations so that residents would have no problems voting, the German newspaper Merkur.de wrote. Voters are being informed of the new polling stations via social media and street signs.

The Übelbach river caused many problems, as it burst its banks due to the rainfall. This led to mudslides that destroyed houses and washed away cars.

In the Graz area alone, the provincial capital of Styria, the fire departments had to respond 800 times. Furthermore, in the town of Neudau, the emergency services had to evacuate a retirement home.

Like most other EU member states, Austria will elect the European Parliament on Sunday. The conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is expected to lose votes, and the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is expected to make significant gains.