When the Prime Minister calls a general election, almost all the work in Parliament ceases immediately:

• Meetings in the Parliament Chamber are cancelled
• Proposed legislation and proposals for parliamentary resolution that are not fully processed will be void. If the proposers wish them to be processed, they must be re-proposed when a newly elected Parliament convenes
• The committees do not usually have any meetings or receive any deputations. In principle, the committees may continue asking questions to the ministers, but in practice they usually refrain from doing so
• Members of Parliament cannot table any new section 20 questions for written response

The work of the Finance Committee and the European Affairs Committee continues during the election. If necessary, Parliament may call meetings during the election.

The Government will only resign for one of two reasons:

• It has lost the majority in Parliament
• Parliament has expressed a lack of confidence in the Prime Minister

Otherwise, the Government continues its work in principle. In practice, however, the Government does not initiate any new, large-scale policies during an election.

If the Government resigns, it continues as a caretaker government. Until there is a new Government, the ministers in the caretaker government can only handle practical things that are necessary for the continued work of the ministries and the public administration.

You can vote in general elections in Denmark if you:

• are a Danish citizen
• are 18 years or older
• have a permanent residence in Denmark
• have full legal capacity (i.e., not under guardianship with full removal of the legal right to act)

Voters who live abroad do not in principle have the right to vote in general elections in Denmark. Some Danish citizens who have maintained a special connection to Denmark may apply to keep their right to vote in a time-limited period. This is relevant if, i.e., you work abroad for the state or only live abroad temporarily.

If you have the right to vote in general elections, you may also stand as a candidate. But you cannot be a Member of Parliament if you have been punished for something which is deemed as making you unworthy of being a Member of Parliament. If you are elected, the Parliament will assess whether you can be a Member.

You can stand for a general election in one of three ways:

• for one of the parties already elected for Parliament
• for a new party
• outside the party system

Standing for an elected party

Most candidates run for one of the parties already represented in Parliament. In order to do so, you must first be approved by the party. The parties may have different rules and traditions for how they choose and present their candidates.

Standing for a new party

In order to run as a candidate for a new party, the party must be eligible for election. This is achieved by following these steps:

• A new party is created
• The party has their name approved by the election board
• The party collects at least 20,000 voter declarations which are then checked and approved by the Ministry of the Interior and Health

Parties usually need at least 2 percent of the votes in order to be elected. This corresponds to 4 seats in Parliament. If a party is not elected into Parliament, the votes are lost.

Standing outside the party system

You may also stand for election outside the party system. This is called standing as an independent candidate. It has only happened 2 times since 1953 that an independent candidate was elected.

You can vote for municipal and regional elections if you are at least 18 years old and have a permanent address in the municipality (at municipal elections) or in the region (at regional elections). You must also either:

• be a Danish citizen
• be a citizen of one of the other EU countries
• be a citizen of Iceland or Norway
• have lived in Denmark continuously for the last 4 years before the election day

If you have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections, you may also stand as a candidate.

At municipal and regional elections, you always stand for election on a list of candidates regardless of whether you stand independently or for a party or local list.

Usually, you must have collected signatures from a certain number of voters (supporters) in order to stand for election. In most municipalities you must collect at least 25 signatures, but it is usually more in the larger cities.

You can lose your electability at municipal and regional elections. This usually happens if you have been imprisoned or if you have been deprived of your driving license without conditions.

You can vote in elections for the European Parliament if you are at least 18 years old and:

• are a Danish citizen with a permanent address in Denmark or one of the other EU member states
• are a citizen in one of the other EU member states and have a permanent address in Denmark

Each person decides if they want to vote in the EU country in which they live or in the EU country they are from. You can only vote in one EU country.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland are not a part of the EU. If you live in the Faroe Islands or in Greenland you cannot vote in the election for the European Parliament.

If you have the right to vote at the election for the European Parliament, you may also stand as a candidate. But you cannot sit in the European Parliament if you have been convicted of something which in the public’s eyes make you unworthy of being a Member. If you are elected, the Danish Parliament will decide if you can sit as a Member.

You can vote in a referendum if you:

• are a Danish citizen and at least 18 years old
• have a permanent address in Denmark
• have full legal capacity (i.e., not under a guardianship with full removal of the legal right to act)

Voters who live abroad do not in principle have the right to vote in referendums in Denmark. Some Danish citizens who have maintained a special connection to Denmark may apply to keep their right to vote in a time-limited period. This is relevant if, for example, you work abroad for the state or only live abroad temporarily.

At least 5 days before the election, all voters will receive a poll card by post. The poll card states where you must cast your vote, e.g., at a school or a city hall.

At the polling station

When arriving at the polling station, you:

1. give your poll card to the appointed elector. If you have forgotten or lost your poll card, the appointed elector will print a new one once you have shown your identification, e.g., health card, driving license or passport
2. state your birth date
3. are crossed off the voters’ registration
4. are given your ballot
5. enter the voting booth and put your X on the ballot
6. put your folded ballot in the ballot box

Getting help when voting

At all polling stations you can receive help e.g., have the contents of the ballot explained. In some circumstances, you may also receive help in marking your vote on the ballot.

You can choose a person to help you. This person will help you alongside a person of authority (an appointed elector or polling supervisor).

If you mark the wrong place on your ballot, you may have another ballot. If you have already put your ballot in the ballot box, it may not be exchanged.

Opening hours of the polling stations

If the election is on a weekday, the polling stations are open from 8am to 8pm. On some of the smaller islands, the municipal council may decide that the polling stations open at 9am.

If the election is on a weekend or bank holiday, the polling stations are open from 9am to 8pm.

Secret voting

All polling stations have booths that are screened off in which to vote, so that others cannot see your vote. You must not show your ballot to anyone, and you must put it in the sealed ballot box yourself.

Polling supervisors and appointed electors

The municipal councils are in charge of arranging the elections in the individual constituencies. They select a few citizens in the municipality – polling supervisors and appointed electors – to help out with the many practical duties. Political parties will often volunteer people.

Polling supervisors and appointed electors have many duties, e.g.:

• opening and closing the polling stations
• handing out ballots and crossing out voters on the voters’ registrations
• monitoring that ballots are placed correctly into the ballot box
• helping with voting
• counting the votes

The ballot

In general elections and elections for municipals councils, regional councils and the European Parliament, you must mark with an X the square box next to:

• a party/a list of candidates (party vote) or
• a candidate (personal vote)

You may only mark one square box with an X. Otherwise, the ballot is invalid.

At referendums you must mark either yes or no.

Blank votes

You may also refrain from marking with an X. This is called a blank ballot. A blank ballot is invalid and does not count towards the election result.

However, a blank ballot is included in the total number of votes cast. With a blank ballot, you signal that you are interested in democracy but that you don’t know what to vote for. Or that you don’t share opinions with any of the standing parties and candidates.

Invalid ballots

A ballot is invalid, if:

• it is blank, i.e., not marked with an X
• it is not clear which party or which person is marked with an X
• it has distinctive features, i.e., there are drawings, writing or symbols on the ballot instead of or in addition to the X

If you are hindered from showing up and voting on election day, you can vote ahead of time. You do not have to explain why you choose this.

All voters may cast their vote in advance in all the country’s municipalities, e.g., at citizen service centres and libraries.

You may also vote in advance:

• from hospitals, if you are hospitalised
• from nursing homes and in protected residences, residences for the elderly, care homes, etc., if you live or stay in one of these places
• from prisons and jails, if you are incarcerated
• from remote islands, where there are no polling stations
• from your own home, if you can’t go the polling station due to illness or lack of mobility

Deadline for voting in advance

The deadline for voting in advance in Denmark depends on the type of election.

General elections: From 3 weeks before election day (but not before the election has been called) until 3 weekdays (including Saturdays) before the election.

Elections for the European Parliament and referendums: From 6 weeks before election day at the places in the municipalities where all voters can vote in advance, until 3 weekdays (including Saturdays) before the election. In the other places, e.g., hospitals, advance voting takes place from 3 weeks before election day.

Municipal and regional elections: From the Tuesday 6 weeks before election day at the places in the municipalities where all voters can vote in advance, until the Friday before election day. In the other places, e.g., hospitals, advance voting takes place from 3 weeks before election day.

Identification

In order to vote in advance, you must bring your identification, e.g., driving license, health card, or passport.

You do not need to bring the poll card you have received by post.

At the polling station

1. You show your identification and are given a ballot, an envelope, a cover letter, and another larger envelope
2. You fill in the ballot without anyone else watching
3. You put your ballot in the envelope
4. You fill out the cover letter with your name, address, birth date, today’s date, and a signature, in view of the vote receiver
5. The vote receiver notarizes the cover letter, i.e., signs to approve that everything has happened correctly
6. You put the envelope with the ballot and the cover letter into the larger envelope in view of the vote receiver
7. You fill out the outer envelope with your name, birth date, and address
8. The polling station sends the vote by post to the voter’s home municipality

If you regret your advance vote, you may vote again. The latest advance vote will be counted in the election.

You cannot vote on election day if you have voted by post.

Getting help when voting in advance 

At polling stations for advance voting, a vote receiver can answer any questions you may have. The vote receiver will also go through the procedure before you vote. The vote receiver is often an employee of the municipality or the institution.

If you need it, you can, for example, be helped by having the contents of the ballot explained. You can also be helped in filling out the ballot. You may also ask a person to come along to help you at the polling station alongside the vote receiver.

Blank votes

If you want to submit a blank vote, you simply refrain from filling out the ballot before you put it in the envelope.

Voters abroad

Voters who temporarily live abroad, e.g. for the purpose of vacation, education or work, may cast their vote in advance in general elections, municipal and regional elections, elections for the European Parliament and referendums. The advance voting can take place at embassies and consulates from 3 months before election day.