Austrian voters head to polls to elect new government

By Askin Kiyagan

VIENNA (AA) - Voters in Austria are casting their ballots on Sunday to elect the country’s new government.

Polls are open until 5:00 p.m. local time (0300GMT), with 6.4 million eligible voters in a population of nine million set to choose 183 new members of parliament.

Nine parties and three political formations are competing, with a 4% electoral threshold.

Recent polls suggest the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) is leading with 27%, followed by the center-right Austrian People's Party (OVP) at 25%, and the Social Democratic Party (SPO) at 21%.

The Green Party and the liberal NEOS are expected to secure 9% each.

If the FPO wins, it will be the first time that a far-right party secured the top position in Austria’s national elections since World War II.