The right to vote in Norway
In Norway, parliamentary elections (stortingsvalg, parlamentsvalg) are held every fourth year. Municipal elections (kommunestyrevalg) and county council elections (fylkestingsvalg) are also held every fourth year, in the middle of the parliamentary term. In Norway, there is also an election to choose representatives to the Sami Parliament (Sametinget), which is held at the same time as the parliamentary elections. In every parliamentary election, 169 members of parliament (stortingsrepresentanter) are elected, and in every Sami election, 39 representatives (sametingsrepresentanter) are elected.
In parliamentary elections it is only Norwegian citizens who have reached 18 years of age by the end of the election year, and who are or have previously been registered as resident in Norway, who have the right to vote. If you are a Norwegian citizen and have been living abroad for more than ten years, you must apply for inclusion in the electoral register again before you can vote.
In Sami elections you must be included in the Sami Parliament electoral register, and must have reached 18 years of age by the end of the election year, to vote. The Sami Parliament is elected by, and representatives are from, the Sami population. People wishing to vote must themselves apply for inclusion in the Sami electoral register. Sami people who are citizens in other Nordic countries can apply for inclusion in the electoral register if they, on 30 June in the election year, are registered as residents in Norway.
In municipal and county council elections Norwegian citizens who have reached 18 years of age by the end of the election year, and who are or have previously been registered as a resident in Norway, have the right to vote. Citizens of other Nordic countries who have been registered as residents in Norway no later than 30 June in the election year also have the right to vote. Other foreign citizens who have reached 18 years of age by the end of the election year, and who have been registered as a resident in Norway continuously for the three years before the election date, also have the right to vote.
People who have the right to vote, and who are therefore in the electoral register, receive a voters card from their municipality by post. It is only voters who have an address in Norway, with the exception of Svalbard and Jan Mayen, who receive a voters card. The voters card includes information about opening times and which polling station you should use on the election day.
You can also vote even if you have not received a voters card.
Some municipalities have polling stations open for two days, while others are only open on the election day. You can vote in advance in other municipalities and at Norwegian diplomatic missions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.
