Austria Votes to Keep Mandatory Service

A definite majority voted to keep Austria's mandatory service, on Sunday.

59.8% voted for keeping things as they are.

Austrian law requires that all males serve six months in the military, once they are eighteen.

If they do not wish to serve in the military, they then have to serve nine months in civilian service or twelve months in a social service.

Civilian service consists of such things as driving ambulances, working with seniors, hospitals, and the like.

Social service includes work in the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service, the Austrian Social Service, the Austrian Peace Service, etc.

Much of Europe still utilizes compulsory service, though more and more often votes about it are coming up.