Campaign seeks to boost non-citizen voting in council elections

With less than three months until council elections the Integration Ministry is hoping to close the electoral gap between non-citizens and Danes

The Integration and Social Affairs Ministry has launched a new campaign to encourage immigrants to vote in the November 19 council and regional elections after a low turnout four years ago.

Unlike national elections, many non-citizens can vote in local and regional elections. But in 2009, just 37 percent cast a ballot, compared with 68 percent of Danes. That's a gap the integration and social affairs minister, Annette Vilhelmsen (Socialistisk Folkeparti), is hoping to close with the new ‘Alles Valg 2013’ (Everyone’s Election) campaign.

Vilhelmsen urged all eligible residents to vote, and found it worrying that so many non-citizens didn’t take the opportunity to do so.

“It is a massive challenge to democracy and integration, which can lead to distrust of the councils or a lack of accepting of political decisions,” Vilhelmsen said. “That’s why a special effort to get more people to vote is needed and I hope that the ‘Alles Valg 2013’ campaign will show what a gift voting actually is.”

The campaign seeks to encourage non-citizens to vote, as well as to explain what local councils do and the electoral process. The ministry will hold 20 nationwide meetings to inform immigrants about voting in council elections.

Election information will also be available in various languages.

Factfile | Who can vote?
You are able to vote in local and regional elections if you are over 18, reside permanently in the council or region and if you:

– Are a Danish citizen with an address in Denmark
– Are a non-citizen who has lived in Denmark for the three years leading up to the election
– Are a citizen of a EU country, Iceland or Norway, living in Denmark

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