At stake in this election:

• 183 seats in the National Council (Nationalrat)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Heinz FISCHER *
• Head of Government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL
• Assembly: Austria has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consisting of the Federal Council (Bundesrat) with 62 seats and the National Council (Nationalrat) with 183 seats.

* The President is eligible for a second term.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by majority vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the Federal Council (Bundesrat) 62 members are elected by indirect vote*. In the National Council (Nationalrat) 183 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.**

* Members represent each of the 9 states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least 3 representatives; members serve a 5- or 6-year terms.

** A 4% threshold is required for a party to enter the National Council.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Austrian Social Democratic Party / Sozialdemokratische Partei
• Alliance for the Future of Austria/Bündnis Zukunft Österreich
• Freedom Party of Austria/Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs
• Austrian People's Party/Österreichische Völkspartei
• The Greens/Grunen - Die Grünen

Population and number of registered voters

• Population: 8,268,641 (2006)
• Registered voters: 6,107,892 (2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,248,925 (2006)

·         Is Austria a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Austria ratified CEDAW: Yes (31 March 1982)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 59 (National Council) (as of 2006 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 23 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Australia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Australia ratified CRPD: Yes (26 Septmember 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 1,240,296 (est.)