Freedom Party challenges Austria's presidential vote; claims foreigners' votes counted

VIENNA, June 8 (UPI) -- Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of Austria's Freedom Party, announced on Wednesday that the party will challenge May's presidential election results in court.

Former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen was elected president on May 23, defeating Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer in the run-off election by 31,000 votes, or less than one percentage point. Van der Bellen was declared the winner with 50.3 percent of the votes, to Hofer's 49.7 percent.

The Freedom Party announced it will ask the Constitutional Court for a recount of ballots.

The Interior Ministry said there were some voting irregularities reported, mostly technicalities involving improper handling of up to 23,000 ballots. Another 2,000 votes by underage voters were voided.

Strache said he has presented evidence, in a 150-page report submitted to the court, that up to 570,000 mail-in ballots were illegally handled. The party claims foreigners and underage voters had their ballots counted.

"We are not sore losers. This is about protecting the foundations of democracy," Strache said.

The position of Austria's president is largely ceremonial, but the Freedom Party regards it as important to its success in the country's 2018 parliamentary elections.

The court has four weeks to respond. If it takes the full time allowed, its findings will be released on July 8, just two days before Van der Bellen is scheduled to be sworn in.