Austria,International

Electoral reforms ahead of 2019 European Parliament elections needed says wahlbeobachtung.org

19 Jul , 2018  

Wahlbeobachtung.org opinionates in the Wiener Zeitung on 20 July 2018: “It needs as soon as possible an inclusive and participatory electoral reform process to discuss comprehensive electoral reforms and to adopt new electoral laws in time for the European elections.”

In less than a year, on 26 May 2019, the 18 parliamentarians who represent Austria in the European Parliament will be newly elected in Austria. This election requires an electoral amendment in order to comply with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation, which entered into force on 25 May 2018. This amendment again concerns a necessary modification of the existing postal vote envelope, which – since the removal of the tab due to adhesive problems – makes the name and signature of the voter on the outside visible. Specifically, it involves the introduction of a third over-envelope to protect personal data and signatures from the eyes of third parties.