Elections in Norway

The parliament, the Storting (or Stortinget by Norwegian grammar), has 169 members elected for a four-year term (during which it may not be dissolved) by a form of proportional representation[1] in multi-seat constituencies.

This method is the modified Sainte-Laguë method and the underlying principle is that the number of seats a party gets in the Storting should be as close as possible to the relative number of votes the party got in the election.

By-elections are not used, as the list-system means that vacant seats are merely filled by the next one on the party list (suppleants).

Registration is automatic and based on the national registry, The ballots are uniform throughout the country, with the exception of the candidate list.

Election officials are tasked with keeping the number of ballots in each voting booth approximately even, to reduce the possibility of influencing the voter.

Voters wishing to vote early can search for polling places on the public website www.valglokaler.no.

Early polling places are usually at City Halls or similar public buildings.

Voters abroad who are not close to any Norwegian foreign station can vote through mail.

[6] Election day is normally the 2nd Monday of September, but many polling places are also open the preceding Sunday.

Polling places are usually local schools, community centers or similar, and are normally open from 09:00 or 12:00.

Others claim that counties with a scattered and sparse population situated far away from the central administration should have a stronger representation in the Parliament.

Norwegian citizens living in Svalbard and Jan Mayen, as well as Norwegian citizens living abroad who have resided in Norway within the past ten years, are registered to vote in the constituency they last resided in.

However, only parties with more than 4% of the votes on a national basis – the election threshold – are entitled to leveling seats.