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53382
16 local referendums in 2010
statistikk
2011-03-24T10:00:00.000Z
Elections
en
folkavs_kostra, Local referendums, local democracy, persons entitled to vote, electoral turnoutReferendums, Elections
false

Local referendums2010

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16 local referendums in 2010

Last year, Norwegian municipalities held 16 local referendums. This was three more than the average during the 2000s. A total of 54 700 people were entitled to vote one or several times in the referendums, and voter turnout was 11.7 per cent.

Number of local referendums, by subject. 2000-2010

The subjects addressed in the referendums varied. Nine local referendums about what variant of the Norwegian language is preferable were held in 2010. Three were about environmental issues, two about territorial and two categorised as district and identity issues.

Low turnout in the e-elections

Four of the local referendums held in 2010 were a part of the official e-election project to test the administration of the election system, where electronic voting via the Internet is an option. In the three advisory referendums in Vefsn concerning traffic management in the centre of Mosjøen, and the one in Mandal about the name of a new foot and bicycle bridge, the electorate could only cast their votes electronically.

In total, the turnout for the local referendums in 2010 was the lowest registered during one year in the 2000s. The e-elections in Vefsn and Mandal contribute heavily to this. In these the turnouts were 4.9 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively. The voting age in these elections was lowered to 16. In total, if the e-elections are omitted, the voter turnout for the remaining elections was 43.9 per cent.

Up until now, 125 referendums have been held in the 2000s, compared to 116 in the 1990s.

However, even if the e-elections are included and missing data is controlled for, the total voter turnout for the local referendums held during the 2000s is approximately at the same level as it was in the 1990s.

Yes to municipality merger and no to change in county affiliation

The highest voter turnout among the referendums held last year was the referendum in Mosvik in Nord-Trøndelag. The turnout among the 671 people entitled to vote in this referendum, concerning a municipality merger with Inderøy, was 76.5 per cent. Approximately 58 per cent cast their vote in support of the merger. After an opinion poll in Inderøy also showed support in favour of the merger the two municipal councils decided to follow the advice of the majority of the inhabitants and support a municipality merger from 2012.

The other territorial referendum registered in 2010 was held in Osen municipality in Sør-Trøndelag. In 2009 the municipality was looking for a direct recommendation from its inhabitants as to whether they should continue investigating the possibility for a change in county affiliation, and last year the inhabitants voted to determine whether the change from Sør-Trøndelag to Nord-Trøndelag should actually take place. The outcome showed a close race between the two sides, but with a small predominance, 50.8 per cent, in favour of a continued affiliation with Sør-Trøndelag. In total, 71 per cent of the electorate cast their vote, and 16 and 17 year-old inhabitants were included among the electorate. Approximately 48 per cent of the votes were cast in advance and the municipal council decided to uphold the result.

Referendums about the variant of the Norwegian language dominate

As mentioned, there were a majority of local referendums in 2010 concerning what variant of the Norwegian language is preferable. Historically, this is the most common subject addressed in local referendums in Norway. Nearly half of all the referendums held in the 2000s were concerning what variant of the Norwegian language is preferable in the educational system or in the municipality administration. This portion has increased since the 1990s. When all the registered local referendums from 1970 to 2000 are taken into account, this subject alone makes up for approximately 44 per cent of them.

A total of 8 000 people were entitled to vote in the referendums concerning variant of the Norwegian language during 2010, and the voter turnout in total was 39.4 per cent. The turnout varied from the highest in Steinkjer in Nord-Trøndelag with 58.4 per cent, to the lowest in one of the two held in Tinn in Telemark, where it was 22 per cent. With regard to the referendum held in Steinkjer, which showed 56 per cent support for the literary language, this is where the last school in the county to change over to using the literary language as the primary language is located.

Five of the nine referendums concerning variant of the Norwegian language showed support for the literary language or an optional variant. All of the referendums on the language in the municipality administration, except for the referendum in Åmil in Aust-Agder, related to the variant of the Norwegian language in the educational system. The majority votes in one of these advisory referendums were not taken into account in the decision making by the municipal council. A majority of 63 per cent of the electorate voted in favour of keeping New Norwegian as the primary language at Dølemo primary and pre-school education centre, but this was not upheld by the municipal council.

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