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In the fall, elections to commune and poviat councils will be held. Election day is September 11, but early voting is possible from August 10. The electoral law regulates who can vote and how elections are to be held. Did you know that Election Day always has to fall on a Monday?
Purpose of the Electoral Code is to "create conditions for citizens to be able to elect their representatives to the Storting, poviat councils and commune councils in free, direct and secret elections", see § 1-1 . The law must therefore guarantee that you can vote for exactly the party you want and that you can keep your choice secret.
Voting rights
Rules regarding the right to vote can be found in
species. 2-1 i
species. 2-2 Electoral law: If you are a Norwegian citizen and you are 18 or over, or you turn 18 in an election year, you have the right to vote. If you are not a Norwegian citizen but have been a registered resident in Norway for three years,
you also have the right to vote in elections to municipal and district councils.
Other central principles can be found in
chapter 3 regarding eligibility, i.e. who can be voted for and who is required to accept the election, and
chapters 8 i
9 regarding early voting and voting on election day. Early voting can take place from August 10 to the last Friday before Election Day and must take place at the appropriate premises, see
Sections 8-1 i
Sections 8-3 . This year, the last day of advance voting will be Friday, September 8. Election day must fall in September and will be designated Monday, see
Sections 9-1 i
Sections 9-2 .
the Penal Code
the Penal Code also contains provisions applicable to elections, viz
§ 151 do
§ 154 regarding electoral fraud. It is a crime to buy or sell votes, to vote in an election if you are not entitled to vote, and to influence the outcome of an election by manipulating how votes are counted. Laws must protect elections and help keep them free.
New electoral law
We'll have it soon
new electoral law . The law was adopted by the Storting in June 2023, but has not yet entered into force. It is planned that it will take over the electoral law we have today, ahead of the 2025 general election.
1 new
right it should be more modern.
2 The language must be easier to understand and the law must be adapted to the technological developments of the last 20 years.