VIENNA (Reuters) - The outcome of Vienna's city election on Sunday is too close to call, according to a "poll of polls" combining pre-election surveys and exit polling by SORA for the broadcaster ORF, suggesting a record level of support for Austria's far-right in a bastion of the left.
The election has been dominated by the issue of immigration in a city through which tens of thousands of migrants have passed in the past month, most of them on their way to Germany, during Europe's worst migration crisis in decades.
The survey put support for the Social Democrats (SPO), who have governed the capital since the aftermath of World War Two, at 34.5-37.5 percent, while the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) was on 33-36 percent.
The Freedom Party's previous strongest showing in Vienna was 28 percent in 1996 under its most prominent leader of recent times, the late Joerg Haider. Its current leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, is running for mayor of Vienna.
The polls used included a survey of 2,000 people carried out between Wednesday and Sunday. Those surveyed on Sunday were asked how they had voted, a SORA spokesman said. Polling stations closed at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT).
The survey had support for the Greens, currently in a coalition with the Social Democrats in Vienna, falling to 10.5-12.5 percent, while the centre-right People's Party (OVP) was on 8-10 percent. Neos, a liberal party, was on 5-7 percent.
The polling indicated that a three-way coalition was likely to be necessary for a city government to be formed. The winner will be expected to attempt to form a coalition, but all the main parties except the OVP have ruled out an alliance with the FPO.