Election church

An election church (Norwegian: valgkirke) is a term used for approximately 300 churches in Norway that were used as polling stations during the elections to the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll in 1814.

[1] The churches were used because they were the natural center of public life for most places in the country, and because the parish (Norwegian: prestegjeld) was the basic unit of the electoral system.

In some small towns with only one congregation, the selection took place through direct voting.

The first elections took place on a general day of prayer declared on Friday, February 25, 1814.

[4] On the 200th anniversary of the vote in 2014, the National Archives and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage collaborated to label the churches with blue plaques[4] and to reprint facsimiles of the documents stating the addresses and authority of these churches.