Since the opening of Europe’s borders, millions of Europeans now live and work in each others’ countries. While they can only vote in their own national elections, they are also allowed to vote in local and European parliament elections in the country where they are living.
On November 19, Denmark is holding its local elections. These are open to EU residents from the moment they register in Denmark, and non-EU citizens who have been registered in Denmark for at least three years.
Many foreigners may jump at the chance to vote and relish the opportunity to participate for its own sake. Others may wonder whether there is any point in casting a ballot to dictate the running of local government that is ultimately subservient to the whims of the national parliament.
The Copenhagen Post takes its role as the leading source of Danish news in English seriously and will guide our readers through the ins and outs of the election. We hope it is interesting and informative, both for those who are dead-set on voting, and those who are undecided.
Local government may not be sexy, but it’s certainly not insignificant either, especially in Copenhagen, where the budget this year was almost 50 billion kroner. Do you prefer cycle lanes or parking spaces?
Public transport or wider roads? The City Council’s make-up has enormous influence over the shape that Copenhagen takes, and we think it would be a missed opportunity not to head to the polls and have your say about what you think would make Copenhagen an even better city.
If you would like to contact our local election team about an issue you would like to see covered, please contact us at local-election-13@cphpost.dk.
