Need tips on getting elected HRE emperor as Poland

[PrimeYuri]

Hello all, I need some expert tips on getting elected HRE emperor as Poland. I am finding for some reason harder to get elected as poland as any other nation that I have played before. Just to give some examples; I have done HRE games as Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
My current game is with Poland in 1510. I PU'ed bohemia and allied saxony and brandenburg. so far I already got all influence ideas and I used the normal stuff on my allies (improve dip, marry, guarantee, give acces, influence). So far only bohemia barely votes for me (10-15 points). The rest votes for the mighty Habsburgs. Saxony does with more than 100 points while not even allied to them.

The main reason I want to get emporer now is because I need the manpower gain to fight off the mighty ottoman empire. They want my land that I took from Hungary and Wallachia and has more than 100k troops already. I can only afford about 32k (based on manpower and money gain) and I doubt the little 10-15k stacks off the allies and PU's will help. Even when I played Mamluks I didn't had this much trouble with the ottomans.

 

[Bouchart]

Sometimes you have to wait for Austria to have a weak heir or to be heirless. Also Imperial Authority will fall down to 0 due to the Reformation.

 

[Politic Revolutionnaire]

Well according to the wiki the reasons of electors for voting for the emperor are as follows below:

Spoiler

• + current opinion, from −200 to +200.
• + Legitimacy / 2, from −50 to +50.
• + Prestige / 4, from −25 to +25
• + Imperial Authority, for the current emperor.
• +30 for an alliance with the candidate.
• +10 for a royal marriage with the candidate.
• −25, if a one-province minor.
• −25, if under 50 development.
• +25 or +50 for being sufficiently large and an HRE member.
• +5 for same culture group.
• −50 for heretic religion (i.e., different branch of Christianity).
• +50 for subject electors, towards their overlord.
• −50 for independent electors towards a candidate with electoral subjects (stacks).
• −50 for non-HRE states (like Byzantium).
• −20 to +20 for trust.
• +200 for being the leader of a religious league.
• −200 for being a member of the opposing religious league.
• +10 per point of positive diplomatic reputation.
• −5 per point of negative diplomatic reputation.
• −200 if at war with the candidate. (NB: this is a severe penalty, but not automatically disqualifying).
• −1000 if ineligible (non-monarchy, female candidate before Pragmatic Sanction, not HRE religion or not independent, or you are the current emperor and have no heir).

So most of these things are really out of your control, however, there are several notable things you can do to weaken Austria's claim to the emperorship, namely reduce imperial authority by occupying HRE land, reducing the emperor's prestige by fighting wars against them, giving them the development and OPM malus by fighting wars and forcing them to release nations like Styria and Tirol, as well as reduce their alliances by forcing them to break relations with electors in peace deals. Notably, all of these options are heavily dependent on fighting the emperor, but unless you can improve your own chances by a lot it really leaves you no other choice. Good luck with your campaign.

 

[Dominion]

Controlling an elector gives -50 reasons to vote for you. Of course it's more difficult as Poland than it is with Spain if your opener is to PU Bohemia.

It's like saying you're having trouble winning a marathon after shooting yourself in the foot. I know it's difficult. Stop shooting yourself.

 

[HydroAC]

In my only game as France I used the strategy at the start of the game of offering an alliance and where possible RM t to 5 electors, then rivaling Austria. The electors instantly had a malus against Austria and I after maxed relationships France was elected HRE Emperor at the next election. I used 5 electors because one or two go rogue - electors are quite fickle.

Breaking in after this is a challenge, but it can be done. The most likely opportunity is a female Austrian heir. Allying and/or RM with massive improve relations might work. Or you can take out Austria militarily or PUing them (hope for an Austrian on your elective throne and no or a weak heir). Austria is highly likely to try to get a von Hapsburg on the Polish throne.

Or you can just get lucky. In a Spanish campaign I was elected Emperor with no work at all. It turned out Austria had a female ruler and for some reason I was the next choice.