Deutschkreutz voters choose new mayor after resignation

Voters in Deutschkreutz in the Oberpullendorf district are choosing a new mayor on Sunday after the resignation of Andreas Kacsits of the Austrian People’s Party. ORF reported that Eva Heidenreich of the Austrian People’s Party, Jürgen Hofer of the Social Democratic Party and Manfred Kölly of the LBL are standing in the special election.

A total of 2,988 people are eligible to vote. The polling station in the gym hall of the Europaschule is open until 2 p.m., with the result expected at around 3:30 p.m.

The election follows months of disputes in the municipal council after allegations of undeclared work at the local kindergarten emerged in October 2025. The municipal office manager was dismissed, and Kacsits resigned as mayor in April this year.

Kacsits, who had previously served as deputy mayor, was elected mayor by the municipal council after Manfred Kölly stepped down in 2021 following a legally binding conviction for abuse of office. Kacsits narrowly retained the post in the 2022 regular election, defeating Hofer by 26 votes.

The 2017 municipal and mayoral election in Deutschkreutz was annulled by the provincial election authority after ballot papers were manipulated. Kölly retained the mayor’s post in the subsequent repeat election. A new election is required now because more than a year remained before the next regular election date when Kacsits resigned.