Municipal and county council election, persons entitled to vote

Persons entitled to vote: The right to vote is stipulated in Norway's constitution and the Election Act. Norwegian citizens aged 18 or over in the election year and who have resided in Norway for the last ten years will automatically be included in the electoral register. In addition, Norwegian citizens who have lived abroad continuously for the last ten years, may apply to be included in the electoral register.

Foreign nationals who have resided in Norway for the last three years are entitled to vote in county and municipal elections provided that they fulfil the conditions applicable to Norwegian nationals. Pursuant to an amendment of the Election Act, Recommendation to the Odelsting no. 61 (1998-99), Odelsting Proposition no. 37 (1998-99), all Nordic citizens were entitled to vote in county and municipal elections provided that they had moved to Norway before 1 March in the election year. This came into effect in the 1999 election year.

As from the 2003 county and municipal election, all Nordic citizens are entitled to vote if they have moved to Norway before 31 May in the election year. Nordic citizens are entitled to vote in the 2007 county and municipal election if they have moved to Norway before 30 June in the election year.

Norwegian citizens with an immigrant background: Citizens with two foreign born parents.

Standard for country and citizenship Standard for county divisions Standard for classification of municipalities

Name: Municipal and county council election, persons entitled to vote
Topic: Elections

Division for Population Statistics

Estimated numbers: County. Foreign citizens and Norwegian citizens with immigrant background at the municipal level, selected municipalities.

Final numbers: Eligible voters by constituency, county and continent.

Every fourth year.

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Norwegian, English.

The purpose is to produce estimated numbers of persons entitled to vote in the next local election. Estimated numbers has been produced since the local election in 1999. Final numbers will be published when the date for the local election is approching.

Municipalities, counties, media and researchers use the statistics and the analyses.

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Statistics Act § 2-1, 2-2, 3-2

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All eligible voters in the local election.

Since 1970, the Central Population Register has provided the base for the statistics. Since 1946, all local authorities have held a local national register of all residents in the individual municipalities in accordance with legislation and directives related to national registration. The national registration offices receive details of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, immigration etc. from various sources for the municipalities they cover.

The National Population Register (DSP) was built up from 1964 to 1966 on the basis of the 1960 census, at the same time as the 11-digit national identity number was introduced as identification. The register consisted of those who took park in the census, and subsequently everyone that has been resident in Norway from 1 October 1964. In 1995, the Central Population Register (DSF) at the Directorate of Taxes took over as the official register. The Office of the National Registrar, which administrates the DSF (and previous DSP), was transferred in 1991 from Statistics Norway to the Directorate of Taxes.

The updating of the Central Population Register is partly carried out by the local population registries, which are connected to the DSF via terminals, and partly by the Directorate of Taxes centrally. The basis of the statistics on changes in the population is electronic copies to Statistics Norway of all such reports of events that update the register. The reports are also used to update a separate Statistics Norway population database kept for statistical purposes. This database forms the basis of the population statistics.

The distributor for the Directorate of Taxes (EDB Business Partner), provides SSB with the basis for the final numbers of eligible voters when the date for the local election is approaching.

Since January 1998, reports (electronic copies) that were previously transferred on a monthly basis have been transferred from the Central Population Register to Statistics Norway daily. Prior to May 1995, Statistics Norway received the reports on a magnetic tape each month.

Data from previous years provide the basis for calculating changes from the time of calculating and to the election is arranged. The accuracy of this data decides the quality.

The basis is data from the population statistics, people who resides in Norway. In addition to this, eligible Norwegian voters who resides abroad. Data concerning deaths, emmigration, immigration and changes in citizenship from the previous year. The country of birth file is used to calculate the number of Norwegian citizens with an immigrant background.

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Comparative statistics from the election in 1999.

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