Vienna* KOER-Art in Public Space Vienna; City of Vienna * 2025 * 11 Weeks

Three weeks before the elections in Vienna, WochenKlausur aimed to initiate a fundamental discussion about electoral systems. A performative project was used to carry out fictional elections to show how election outcomes change depending on the voting method used.

Elections are fundamental for democracy. However, familiarity with the standard systems make us overlook the fact that a political landscape is shaped not only by voters’ decisions but also on the rules according to which they vote. After all, there are around 250 different voting methods worldwide, all claiming to reflect the “will of the voters.” If they are all exploring the same thing, they shouldcome to a similar results.

The Experiment
What happens if voters are allowed not only to vote for a party but also against one? Or if they can choose to vote either for or against a party?

The common method of voting shows what is favored but not what is rejected. Wouldn't it be just as democratic to cast a second vote against a party? After all, people often know what they don't want before they know what they do. So why aren't they given the means to express rejection?

From April 7 to 12, it was possible to take part in an experiment at various public locations. In mobile voting booths, votes could be cast using both the traditional system and the alternative method described.

More than 2,000 people participated in this experiment, of whom over 1,000 were eligible voters in Vienna.

The results clearly showed that each voting method produces different rankings.

WochenKlausur had no intention of recommending a specific voting system. However, if the results differ, it is worth considering what exactly is being measured with each method. In any case, the aim was to raise awareness of how voting rules influence the political landscape. For example, if the USA used the Swiss system, or the Netherlands adopted the Indian electoral system, their respective power dynamics would look completely different.



Christoph Kanter, Martina Reuter, Karl Seiringer, Wolfgang Zinggl

Team Wahlkabinen: Rike Albers, Kai Bürkle, Hannah Dankl, Lotte Eppert, Kolja Hanoldt, Valerie Höchtel, Lina Kops, Anna Metz, Stefan Meyer, Mirjana Mihajilovic, Miriam Pilsel, Marcel Schünemann, Plamen Sirakov, Zhivko Syarov, Leonie Wimmer, Lina Wimmer, Stefan Zehirev