Local elections were held in Graz on 20 January 2008. Apart from the five parties present in the municipal council â the Austrian People's Party, the Social Democratic Party of Austria, the Communist Party of Austria, the Freedom Party of Austria and the Greens â The Green Alternative â the Alliance for the Future of Austria also contested the election.
A poll from early December 2007 saw the lead of incumbent mayor Siegfried Nagl (ÃÂVP) diminish:
|- ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" |Party ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Votes ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |% ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Seats ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |+/â ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Councillors ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |+/â |- | style="text-align:left;" |Austrian People's Party (ÃÂVP) | style="text-align:right;" |43,274 | style="text-align:right;" |38.37 | style="text-align:right;" |23 | style="text-align:right;" |+2 | style="text-align:right;" |4 | style="text-align:right;" |ñ0 |- | style="text-align:left;" |Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÃÂ) | style="text-align:right;" |22,266 | style="text-align:right;" |19.74 | style="text-align:right;" |11 | style="text-align:right;" |âÂÂ4 | style="text-align:right;" |2 | style="text-align:right;" |âÂÂ1 |- | style="text-align:left;" |The Greens â The Green Alternative (Grüne) | style="text-align:right;" |16,416 | style="text-align:right;" |14.56 | style="text-align:right;" |8 | style="text-align:right;" |+4 | style="text-align:right;" |1 | style="text-align:right;" |+1 |- | style="text-align:left;" |Communist Party of Austria (KPÃÂ) | style="text-align:right;" |12,611 | style="text-align:right;" |11.18 | style="text-align:right;" |6 | style="text-align:right;" |âÂÂ6 | style="text-align:right;" |1 | style="text-align:right;" |âÂÂ1 |- | style="text-align:left;" |Freedom Party of Austria (FPÃÂ) | style="text-align:right;" |12,235 | style="text-align:right;" |10.85 | style="text-align:right;" |6 | style="text-align:right;" |+2 | style="text-align:right;" |1 | style="text-align:right;" |+1 |- | style="text-align:left;" |Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÃÂ) | style="text-align:right;" |4,857 | style="text-align:right;" |4.31 | style="text-align:right;" |2 | style="text-align:right;" |+2 | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â |- | style="text-align:left;" |Austrian Drivers' and Citizens' Party (ÃÂABP) | style="text-align:right;" |556 | style="text-align:right;" |0.49 | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â |- | style="text-align:left;" |Wegscheidler's List (WEG) | style="text-align:right;" |231 | style="text-align:right;" |0.20 | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â |- | style="text-align:left;" |Peter Pailer's List (SALZ) | style="text-align:right;" |218 | style="text-align:right;" |0.19 | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â |- | style="text-align:left;" |Centre Party Austria (ZPA) | style="text-align:right;" |111 | style="text-align:right;" |0.10 | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â | style="text-align:right;" |â |- |style="text-align:left;background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 57.90%) |width="75" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|114,654 |width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00 |width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|56 |width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|â |width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|9 |width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|â |- | colspan=7|Source: http://www.graz.at/cms/ziel/1640907/DE