Norway - June 2023

The parliament approved the Elections Act, geared towards ensuring public confidence in legislative and local elections. The law aims to promote transparency in the counting of ballot papers, clarifies responsibility for overseeing the vote in polling stations, and introduces new requirements to ensure impartiality of election workers handling ballots. A new complaints system is introduced designed to subject election complaints to independent legal review. In addition, new requirements for polling station accessibility ensure that voters with disabilities can be assisted by an election official or other person designated by the voter. Finally, the law includes provisions that make it possible to postpone or extend an election in case of extraordinary events that may interfere with voter turnout. The law enters into force in time for the 2025 general election and will not apply for local elections scheduled for September 2023.

Sources: Stortinget, Valg, Regjeringen (1), Regjeringen (2)