According to the presidential letter published yesterday, the formal dissolution of the parliament will take place on September 25 and the elections will be held on the same day. Pre-election voting starts today.
Pre-election points will be open until August 23
In line with the Althingi Parliamentary Election Act, which requires pre-election voting to “begin as soon as possible after the election date has been announced, but not earlier than eight weeks before election day,” preliminary voting began this morning at the district commissioner’s offices in Reykjavik.
The representative of the district commissioner confirmed in an interview with Iceland Review that a preliminary vote will take place in the offices of the district commissioner today and next week, which is until polling stations in Kringlan and Smáralind shopping centers open on 23 August. District Commissioners’ offices are located in Hlíðasmári in Kópavogur and are open on weekdays from 8:20 to 15:00 (Fridays until 14:00).
In yesterday’s interview with RÚV Sigríður Kristinsdóttir, Reykjavík’s district commissioner, said that the voting points would be governed by COVID-19 rules. Masks and keeping a distance will be obligatory. All voting devices will be disinfected after use.
Voting requests for citizens who are in isolation or quarantine can be made up to five days before election day.
The most important issues of this year’s parliamentary elections include: paying off debts incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, solving problems with financing nursing homes, ensuring the effectiveness of the health care system (with increasing waiting lists), formal adoption or not of a new constitution (in line with from the 2012 referendum, where a majority voted in favor of a new constitution based on the draft Constitutional Council of 2011) and countering the global threat of climate change.
Earlier this year, 13 political parties registered to participate in the upcoming elections, although a few smaller ones may not take part. The most significant parties are the Independence Party, the Progress Party, the Green Left Movement and the Alliance. The other two major parties, the Pirate Party and the Reform Party, are also registered for election, along with several smaller parties, including the Center Party, the Socialist Party, and the People’s Party. Bright Future, Dawn and the People’s Front of Iceland have announced that they will not run in this election.
More information on how to vote in each municipality can be found on the websites of the district commissioners – HERE.
Source: Yle