Postal voting

If you are staying in a place in a foreign country where it is not possible to get to a returning officer, you can vote in advance by letter post.

If you are staying in a place in a foreign country where it is not possible to get to a returning officer, you can vote in advance by letter post.

You can request necessary materials such as voting slips and envelopes from most Norwegian foreign service missions. In certain cases, however, it will not be possible to obtain these. In such case, you can use a blank sheet as a voting slip or print out an official voting slip.

In addition to the voting slip, you must have three envelopes. You can use regular envelopes; however, it is an advantage if they are of different sizes. Elections are secret; therefore you should avoid using envelopes
bearing company, organisation or similar names.

The three envelopes each have their own function and different names:

  • Voting slip envelope
    You place the voting slip in this envelope.
  • Containing envelope
    You place the voting slip envelope in this envelope. On the outside,
    write the necessary information about you who is casting the vote.
  • Posting envelope
    Place the containing envelope in the posting envelope and send it to
    the municipality in Norway in which you have the right to vote.

How to vote by post

  • Select a party or list

If you use an official voting slip, place a cross next to the party or list. If
the party or list for which you wish to vote is not shown on the voting
slip, you can write the name in the designated space on the slip.

If you use a blank sheet as a voting slip, you must write:

    • The name of the party list for which you wish to vote.
    • That the vote is cast in the municipal council election 2023
      and the name of the municipality in which you have the right
      to vote, or in the county council election 2023, and the name
      of the county in which you have the right to vote.

If you wish to vote in both elections, you must use one sheet for the
municipal council election and another separate sheet for the county
council election.

In Oslo municipality there is a municipal election and a city ward
council election - but not a county council election. If you are on the
electoral register in Oslo municipality and wish to vote in the city ward
council election, you must use a blank sheet and write the name of the
party/group for which you wish to vote. You must also write that the
voting slip applies to the city ward council election 2023 in the district in
which you have the right to vote.

  • Place the voting slip/slips in a voting slip envelope

The voting slip for the municipal council election 2023 and the voting
slip for the county council election 2023 (and if applicable, the voting
slip for the city ward council election 2023 in the district in Oslo
municipality in which you have the right to vote) must be placed in the
same envelope.

The envelope should be sealed.

  • Place the voting slip envelope in a containing envelope

The containing envelope must be closed and sealed. If this is open, the
vote will not be counted.

  • Write the necessary information on the containing envelope

If you use an official containing envelope for advance voting in a foreign
country - write the necessary information on the containing envelope
precisely and legibly. It is particularly important that the name, date of
birth and (if applicable previous) residential address in Norway is
correct.

If you use a regular envelope as a containing envelope you must write
the following information on the envelope:

    • Name and address of the municipality in which you are, or
      most recently were, registered in the Central Population
      Register as a resident.
    • Place and time of voting.
    • Your full name (and any previous names if applicable) and
      date of birth/ID no (11 digits).
    • Your address in Norway as of 30 June 2023, or if applicable
      your most recent residential address registered in the
      Central Population Register in Norway, if you have notified of
      relocation to a foreign country. If you have been registered
      as a resident in a foreign country for more than 10 years
      before election day, you must apply to be included in the
      electoral register in the Norwegian municipality where you
      were last registered as a resident.
    • That you are voting in advance by letter post (letter post
      voting in a foreign country).
    • A witness should confirm the accuracy of what is written on
      the containing envelope. The name of the witness and their
      date of birth and address must be written on the containing
      envelope. It is not a requirement that the witness is a
      Norwegian citizen. The witness confirms the accuracy of the
      information written on the envelope by signing the
      containing envelope.
    • Sign the envelope. You thus confirm that the information you
      have provided is correct.

  • Place the containing envelope in a posting envelope

The posting envelope must be addressed to the Electoral Committee in
the municipality where you are, or were last registered as a resident.

See the addresses to the Electoral Committees in all the municipalities.

The vote is now ready to be sent by post to Norway.

Deadline

To be valid the vote must be sent before 1 September and arrive at the
Electoral Committee in the municipality before 17.00 the day after election day - i.e. Tuesday 12 September.