atkvæðislag

Atkvæðislag refers to the voting system used in Iceland. The primary method employed is proportional representation through party-list voting. Citizens cast a vote for a political party. The seats in the Althing, the Icelandic parliament, are then allocated to parties based on the proportion of votes they receive nationwide. There are 108 seats in the Althing, distributed among six multi-member constituencies. A portion of the seats are awarded as "direct seats" within these constituencies, and the remaining seats are "compensation seats" used to ensure a more accurate proportional outcome across the country. Voters can also express a preference for a specific candidate within their chosen party by marking their name on the ballot, which can influence the order in which candidates from that party are elected. This system aims to reflect the overall political will of the electorate while allowing for some individual candidate choice.