43,930 have voted early in referendum

Some 43,930 people had voted by noon on Wednesday in the referendum taking place on Saturday, according to mbl.is. Turnout in early voting has been particularly high in recent days.

Ástríður Jóhannesdóttir, director of Iceland’s national electoral commission, said the high participation could reflect both strong interest in the issue and the fact that August is a holiday month.

“We have nothing to compare it with, because there have not been elections at this time of year in recent times,” she said. “We have voted at the end of September and at the end of June, but I do not have a single explanation for this high participation.”

The first results are expected after polling stations close, but the national electoral commission does not know which electoral district will report first. Counting is the responsibility of the chief electoral committees in each district.

The committees may begin sorting ballots before polling stations close. However, Ástríður said that, as far as she knew, polling stations would remain open until 10 p.m. in every electoral district, meaning the counting itself would not begin until then.

Votes will be counted at five locations across the country. In many cases, ballots must be transported long distances, and four to five hours may pass between the closing of polling stations and the arrival of the ballots at counting locations.

Voters who cast their ballots early in the county commissioner district where they are legally domiciled may leave their ballots with the county commissioner. Those voting in another district are responsible for delivering their ballots to the office of the municipality where they are registered to vote.

On election day, the safest option is to take the ballot directly to the relevant polling station and polling division.

Election observers approved

The national electoral commission has authorised the British organisation Democracy Volunteers to observe the referendum.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has also announced that its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will send an expert team to the country in connection with the referendum.