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The election of members to local and regional councils must be held every four years according to the Local and Regional Elections Act. Such election is always held on the third Tuesday of November in the year of election.
The next election of members to local and regional councils will be held on Tuesday, 17 November 2009.
Who can vote?
Any person who has attained the age of 18 years and is resident in the local authority area is eligible to vote in the election to local and regional councils.
However, people who are not nationals of Denmark, another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway may only vote if they have resided in the Kingdom for a period of three years prior to the election. People under guardianship who have been deprived of legal capacity (previously known as “incapacitated adults”), however, are ineligible to vote.
Who can stand for election?
If you are eligible to vote in the election to local and regional councils, you are normally also eligible to stand for election to such councils unless you have been convicted of an action which in the public opinion makes you unworthy of being a member of local and regional councils.
Which lists of candidates can I vote for?
The lists of candidates will normally be available on Monday 3 weeks prior to election day (i.e. on October 26, 2009 re. the upcoming elections) or as soon as possible hereafter and will be available at the national registration offices (for advance voting purposes) and at the polling stations on election day.
Inclusion on the electoral register and issuance of poll cards
Persons who are entitled to vote according to the above mentioned criteria will be included automatically on the electoral register in the municipality where they are listed in the national register and receive a poll card five days before election day at the latest.
You will only receive one poll card regardless of whether you are entitled to vote for both the local and regional elections or only the regional elections (i.e. if you have moved to another municipality in the same region less than 7 days prior to election day).
If you are entitled to vote, and you have not yet received your poll card five days prior to election day, or the poll car contains erroneous information, you should contact your municipality as soon as possible.
Advance voting
Any voter who is prevented from attending the polls on election day may vote in advance at any national registration office in Denmark from the third Tuesady in August in the election year (i.e. 18 August, 2009 re. the upcoming elections in 2009) and no later than the Saturday preceding election day (i.e. Saturday, 14 November, 2009). Remember to bring some ID.
Advance voting can also take place at any Danish diplomatic representation abroad (embassies and consulates) from three months prior to election day, and from three weeks prior to election day also in hospitals for hospitalised voters, at care homes and sheltered housing etc., in gaols etc. for detainees, and at home upon application for voters who on account of illness or disability are unable to turn up at a polling station on election day.
If you have voted in advance, you cannot vote on election day!
Voting on election day
At the polling station, you have to present yourself at the voting table indicated on your poll card and turn over your poll card to the keeper of the electoral register. You might be requested to give your name, address and/or date of birth. If you have not received you poll card, or you have forgotten to bring it to the polling station, you can still vote. In case of doubt about your identity, the keeper of the electoral register has to determine your identity and might for this reason ask you to provide some form of documentation thereof, e.g. a passport, drivers license or other ID.
After the keeper of the electoral register has ticked off your name in the electoral register, you will be handed one ballot paper for the local election and one ballot paper for the regional election. If you only wish to use one of the ballot papers handed to you, you can either return the unused ballot paper to the appointed elector, who shall register the ballot paper as returned, or you can vote blank, i.e. put the unmarked ballot paper in the ballot box.
Voting takes place in the voting booth, which only the voter is allowed to enter, unless the voter is in need of assistance.
On the ballot paper you shall enter a cross against a list designation or the name of a candidate that you wish to vote for. If you have crossed the ballot paper off incorrectly, or the ballot paper has become invalid, e.g. if it has been torn by accident, you can have your ballot paper substituted by asking an appointed elector or polling supervisor. Substitution cannot take place once the ballot paper has been put in the ballot box.
Once you have cast your vote, you have to fold the ballot paper so that no one can see how you have voted. Next you have to put the ballot paper in the designated ballot box under the supervision of an appointed elector.
Assistance in voting
Voters who on account of disability, poor health or similar are unable to walk into a polling station or voting booth or in any other way are unable to vote in the prescribed way may request the assistance needed to cast their vote. This may call for the necessary modifications of the prescribed procedure and may entail access to cast one’s vote immediately outside the polling station (curbside voting).
Assistance in voting is rendered by two polling supervisors or appointed electors. Instead of one of the supervisors or appointed electors the voter can demand assistance in voting by a person of his/her own choice. A candidate standing for election to the local or regional council may not render assistance in voting as polling supervisor or appointed elector.
Assistance to cross off a ballot paper may be rendered only when the voter is able to indicate directly and unambiguously to those rendering assistance the list of candidates or candidate for which he or she wants to vote.
Complaints
Any voter in the municipality or the region, respectively, may complain of the election. Complaints must be submitted in writing to the local council or the regional council, respectively, by the weekday after election day at the latest. Complaints are decided at a meeting to be held as soon as possible after expiry of the time-limit for the filing of complaints.
When do the newly elected local and regional councils take office?
When local and regional elections have been held, the newly elected local council or the newly elected regional council, respectively, shall take office on January 1st of the year following the election year, and the previous members shall resign on December 31st in the election year.
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