Right-wing Freedom Party to challenge Austrian election

Austria’s right-wing party is formally challenging the result of the presidential election that was narrowly lost by its candidate.

The Freedom Party is claiming numerous irregularities in the May 22 election, particularly for the absentee vote count, said Constitutional Court spokesman Christian Neuwirth.

Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hoffer was leading after polls closed. But final results after a count of absentee ballots put former Green party politician Alexander Van der Bellen ahead with only 30,000 votes.