There has never been more on offer: seven candidates are expected to be on the ballot paper for the federal presidential elections on October 9 (there were six candidates each in 1951 and 2016). However, this time it’s only men. A total of seven women have stood in the 13 elections for the highest office in the state so far – they face 29 men.
Already in the first popular election in 1951, there was a woman among the applicants: Ludovica Hainisch-Marchet (1901-1993), teacher, publicist, women’s rights activist. The ex-daughter-in-law of Federal President Michael Hainisch (term in office 1920-1928, non-party, at the suggestion of the Christian Socialists) ran as a non-party candidate. However, she only received 0.05 percent of the votes and ended up in last place. Theodor Körner (SPÖ) became Federal President, defeating Heinrich Gleißner, the ÖVP candidate who was ahead in the first ballot, in the second ballot.
