Absentee voting surges in Iceland EU referendum

More than 33,900 people had cast absentee ballots by midday Monday in a vote on whether Iceland should resume accession negotiations with the European Union, Morgunbladid reported.

The figure includes ballots received from embassies, district commissioners and consuls.

Rakel Marin Jonsdottir, the election official for the capital region, said participation in absentee voting could be higher this year than ever before.

In Iceland’s 2020 presidential election, 39,983 absentee ballots were cast in the capital region. This year, 22,337 ballots have already been received there, and the final week before the vote is traditionally the busiest. Officials are prepared for the total to exceed 40,000.

Residents of the capital region can vote at Kringlan shopping centre from noon to 6.30pm and at Hlidasmari from 10am to 9pm.

Jonsdottir said the voting had proceeded smoothly, with very short waiting times. She said voters spent little time in the booth because the ballot paper was simple, meaning that even when queues formed, they moved quickly.