Austrian presidential run-off too close to call

Result will be known Monday after postal ballots are counted

VIENNA (AA) – The Austrian presidential run-off pitting far-right leader Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party against Alexander Van der Bellen supported by the Austrian Green Party was too close to call Sunday.

According to the preliminary results announced by the Interior Ministry on Sunday, Hofer led having claimed 51.9 percent of votes. Alexander Van der Bellen had 48.1 percent.

But the result will only be known Monday as there remained some 900,000 postal ballots to count - a considerable number considering there are 6,384,331 eligible voters in Austria.

Voter turnout was 68.5 percent.

Should Hofer win, it would mark the first time a far-right politician is elected president in Austria since 1945.

The Austrian state channel ORF and international media organs had announced the results neck-and-neck from the very beginning of the counting.

In the first round of presidential elections on April 24, Hofer led with 35 percent of the vote, while Van der Bellen had 21 percent.

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