The Voter's Register
Compilation of the register
Local authorities compile registers of electors on the basis of the records of Statistics Iceland. No one can exercise his right to vote unless his name is on the Voter's Register when the election is held.
Who is registered on the Voter's Register?
Residents in the local government area who meet all the conditions for voting on the closing date of the Voter's Register. The following are the conditions that must be met:
- Voters must have reached the age of 18 years when the election takes place.
- Voters must be Icelandic citizens.
- Voters must be registered as being domiciled in the local government area according to the residence lists of the National Register five weeks before the date of the election.
Also registered in the Voter's Register are Icelandic citizens who are resident abroad, have reached the age of 18 years and meet further specific conditions. These conditions are as follows:
- Any Icelandic citizen who has been domiciled in Iceland shall retain his right to vote for eight years from the date on which he transfers his domicile from Iceland, reckoned from 1 December prior to the date of the election.
- If more than eight years have elapsed since the date on which the person transferred his domicile from Iceland (see item 1 above), he may apply for the right to vote on a special form available from Statistics Iceland, providing he is still an Icelandic citizen. Applications of this type received by Statistics Iceland will not be considered if they are received more than one year before the expiry of the right specified in item 1 above. Those who are registered in the Voters Register in this way shall be entered in the register in the local government area in which they were last domiciled, and this registration shall be valid for four years, counting from 1 December after the receipt of the application.
What is the position of Icelandic citizens who are resident abroad and are registered in the electoral register if they were previously domiciled in Reykjavík?
The National Electoral Commission shall determine the boundary between the northern and southern constituencies by four weeks before the election date at the latest. This division shall be made in such a way that the number of voters for each seat in the Althing shall be roughly equal and the constituencies shall form continuous and natural entities as far as possible. In the case of Icelandic citizens resident abroad, the rule shall be that those born in the first half of the month shall be registered in Reykjavík South and those born in the second half of the month shall be registered in Reykjavík North.
Who will not be registered on the register?
No person will be registered on the Voter's Register in any local government area unless he has been registered as being domiciled there according to the residence lists of the National Register 5 weeks before the date of the election. Thus, the official record in the National Register is the decisive factor, and it is therefore not possible to add any person to the Voter's Register in a local government area in which he has failed to notify Statistics Iceland of his new domicile before the closing date of the Voter's Register, 17 April 2009.
Public presentation of the Voter's Register
Voter's registers shall be presented to the public for at least 10 days before Election Day (8 days before the Election Day 2009). They are generally on view in the local government offices during normal office hours; the local authorities are required to advertise where the registers are on view.
Notifications and complaints regarding the Voter's Register
Any person may submit a complaint to the local authority stating that somebody's name is missing from the register or should not be there. Such complaints may be submitted up to Election Day. If a complaint is received alleging that a person's name should be removed from the register, that person shall be informed. The local authority shall give immediate attention to complaints that it receives concerning the Voter's Register and shall make corrections when appropriate; such corrections may be made right up to the Election Day. Local authorities shall also make corrections when they receive notifications of deaths or that people have acquired or lost Icelandic citizenship. The local authority shall inform the individual concerned of any correction made, and also any other local authority for which the change is of relevance.
