Tasks and responsibilities

The Scrutineers’ Committee is a standing committee that meets only when it has specific cases to handle.

The committee’s tasks and responsibilities can be subdivided into three primary areas:

• to recommend the approval of substitutes for members of the Danish Parliament 
• to recommend the approval of elections
• to make recommendations in cases regarding eligibility for election 

Approval of substitutes

If an ordinary member resigns from Parliament or seeks leave of absence for a specific period, the Scrutineers’ Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Danish Parliament to approve a substitute for the member in question. If a member resigns his or her seat permanently, the approved substitute replaces the member and becomes an ordinary member. If the Danish Parliament grants a member leave of absence, the approved substitute temporarily becomes a member of the Danish Parliament.

The Scrutineers’ Committee meets to discuss specific cases. In each case, the committee checks the following:

• that the substitute in question was the first elected substitute for the party in question in the constituency in question. It often happens that the first elected substitute notifies the committee that he/she does not wish to enter parliament for this particular leave of absence. In such cases, the next substitute in line is called in.
• that the substitute in question has signed a declaration of loyalty to the Constitutional Act of Denmark.

Approval of elections

After each parliamentary election, the Danish Parliament nominates a preliminary committee to assess the elections. This is a so-called ad hoc committee.

The ad hoc Scrutineers’ Committee’s tasks are to:

• investigate whether the election of every candidate occurred in accordance with the Constitutional Act of Denmark and the Electoral Code
• approve or invalidate the election of every candidate
• handle complaints about elections
• review electoral registers, calculations and other material regarding the election. The Danish Parliament receives all this material from the government

The committee then makes recommendations to the Danish Parliament as to whether the election of each individual candidate should be approved or invalidated. If an elected candidate is either incapable of receiving or unwilling to receive the mandate, the preliminary Scrutineers’ Committee investigates whether there is adequate basis for approval of a substitute. 

If approval is postponed, the case is referred to the permanent Scrutineers’ Committee. The Scrutineers’ Committee then makes recommendations to the Danish Parliament as to whether the candidate can be approved. This same committee makes recommendations of approval for election of candidates to the European Parliament. The committee also prepares a report in the wake of a referendum. 

Eligibility issues

Any person who is eligible to vote can be elected to the Danish Parliament, unless he or she has been punished for an action that can generally be regarded as meaning that the person in question is unworthy to serve in the Danish Parliament. Once an election has been approved by the Danish Parliament, specific questions can arise as to whether a member of the Danish Parliament has forfeited his or her eligibility. In such cases, the Scrutineers’ Committee gives its recommendations to the Danish Parliament.