– If I had had to wait until election day to vote, then I would have missed it – if it was grouse hunting. You will never see Carielle Wilhelmsen (30) in a polling station on election day itself. For the grouse hunter from Alta in Finnmark, the date 11 September is not important. It is the day before, September 10, that counts. Then the grouse hunt started. HAGLE: This is who Carielle Wilhelmsen will be spending election day with. The hope is to hit the mark on his first grouse with this one this year. Photo: Carielle Wilhelmsen / Privat But Carielle has voted. She chose to do that in advance at the shopping centre, while she also had other errands. – I think it is more important for me that I can go hunting. So it’s very nice that you can vote in advance and not have to vote on that particular day. A total of 1,278,849 Norwegians have done the same as Carielle this year. It is a new record for the number of advance votes for municipal and county council elections. In comparison, 875,584 voted in advance at the previous municipal and county council elections in 2019. This corresponded to 20.84 per cent of those who were allowed to vote that year. New record It is not only grouse hunters who choose to vote in advance. When the last count was taken after the polling stations closed on Friday, the figures showed that 27.8 per cent of all eligible voters had gone to the polls in advance. In 146 municipalities, you could also vote on Sunday 10 September. A total of 186,471 voters voted this day. – This means that the election campaign will be much longer. People decide, and vote, much earlier than before. It may have an impact on the election campaign, that the parties have to mobilize much earlier. This is what Bjarte Folkestad, who is an election researcher at Volda University College, tells us. Bjarte Folkestad is an election researcher and professor of social studies at Volda University College. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news The fact that many choose to vote in advance also means that you do not have the opportunity to change your mind if new issues arise. – Matters may come up after people have voted, which may have a certain significance. And if you have voted in advance, you do not have the opportunity to change your mind, says Folkestad. Political scientist Troy Saghaug Broderstad at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University says that those who vote in advance are often those who stick with a party through thick and thin. – We see that the number of advance votes is increasing. Often it is the loyal voters, those who are robust against changes in time and have voted for the same party for a long time, who vote in advance. STATE SCIENTIST: Troy Saghaug Broderstad is associate professor of political science at UiT Norway’s Arctic University. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news When do you vote? In advance On the election day itself Show result More available Advance voting in Norway has been possible since the 19th century, but then you had to have a special permit to be allowed. – And since then there have been many reforms, but the last major change was in 2003 when you could vote up to five weeks before election day and mobile polling stations were rolled out at various shopping centres, says Saghaug Broderstad. He explains that by introducing early voting, the significance of election day has faded over the years. – This makes the election day itself less important, in an attempt to make voting more important. ADVANCE VOTING: More and more people choose to vote in advance, especially after polling stations became more accessible. More people vote for the local shopping center while they are out shopping. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news The statistician gives a concrete example from the last election. – In the parliamentary election two years ago, 1.6 million people voted in advance, about half of those who voted. In this year’s municipal and county council elections, you have been able to vote in advance from 10 August to 8 September. On election day itself, it is possible to vote until the evening. Many polling stations close at 8 p.m., but there are different times for polling stations around the country. Bonfire rather than election broadcast For Carielle Wilhelmsen, it will not be the election broadcast on TV that will shine a light on her face throughout the evening. Nor will she have to hunt for the latest forecasts about how the various parties are doing in her municipality and county council. Live flames from the fire pit and the hunt for grouse cackling count for much more. – The autumn hunt means freedom for me, with fresh air, not a sound – except when the shotgun blasts. It is something very special, says Carielle. AUTUMN HUNTING: Carielle likes to hunt with her friends in the mountains. Photo: Carielle Wilhelmsen / Private She may get the election results from her mobile phone, if the coverage is good enough. – I have taken Monday and Tuesday off, and the weather is forecast to be fine. I start as early as six in the morning and go out hunting until it starts to get dark and you can’t shoot anymore, then I turn around and go back. The first grouse has still not been shot, and the novice hunter is hungry for his first hit. Then nothing else counts more these days. – I will have a grouse this year, if I have to climb the highest mountain. HAGLE: Everything is ready for several days of grouse hunting throughout the autumn. The launch took place on Sunday and will last until February 28. Photo: Anita Føleide / news
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Carielle (30) spends election day in the mountains – new record for advance votes this year – news Troms and Finnmark
