Austrians cast votes in Vienna for local elections

The first voters went to the polls in Vienna to cast their ballots in the local elections on Sunday morning, Russia Today reported.

The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) looks set to gain ground as a result of the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis in the European Union (EU).

The FPO has gained an electoral boost as a result of the influx of refugees and migrants into Austria in recent months.

A survey held by local newspaper 'Der Standard' at the beginning of October showed that the FPO and its candidate Heinz-Christian Strache could achieve 35 percent of the votes, while the ruling Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) were predicted to win 36 percent.

Michael Haupl, an SPO candidate, has been mayor of Vienna for more than 20 years. In the 2010 local elections, the SPO won with 44.3 percent of the votes, forming a coalition with the Green party. At the time the FPO managed to obtain just 25.8 percent of the votes.