Forhåndsstemningen

Forhåndsstemningen refers to the period during which eligible voters can cast their ballots before the main election day. The term is used in Norwegian to describe advance voting in elections. It is intended to increase accessibility and to distribute the workload of counting ballots by allowing votes to be cast over several days or weeks.

Voting is typically conducted at designated polling stations or official centers within municipalities, and in some cases voters may vote by mail or postal ballot. The exact rules, locations, and voting windows are determined by national and local electoral laws and can vary between elections and jurisdictions. Voters may be required to bring identification or other documentation as specified by the authorities.

By permitting advance voting, forhåndsstemningen aims to improve turnout and ensure that people who are traveling, working, ill, or otherwise unable to vote on election day can still participate. It may also help reduce queues and delays on election day, but it can raise concerns about privacy, ballot security, and the potential impact of early campaigning in vote sites.

Legal frameworks, processes, and terminology related to forhåndsstemningen are typically described in national election guides and voter information materials. The concept is comparable to absentee or early voting in other democracies.

See also: absentee voting, early voting, electoral law.