Hagskýrslur um kosningar - 01.01.1988, Blaðsíða 22

20
Forsetakjör 1988
voters on the electoral roll in general elections
since the Althing regained legislative power in
1874. The rules goveming the right to vote in
general elections also applied for the referenda of
1918 (Danish-Icelandic Union Act) and 1944
(abrogation of the Danish-Icelandic U nion Treaty,
and Constitution of the Republic), and in the presi-
dential elections of 1952, 1968, 1980 and 1988,
and figures are shown in the table. Furthermore,
these rules were applied in the referenda of 1908
(Prohibition of Alcohol Act) and 1916 (civil duty
work), when the number of voters on the electoral
roll was identical to that for the general elections
held at the same time.
Different rules applied at the elections of sepa-
rately elected members of the Upper Chamber of
the Althing (who replaced the royally appointed
members according to the Constítutional amend-
ments of 1915) on five occasions between 1916
and 1930, as well as in the referendum of 1933 (ab-
rogation of the Prohibition of Alcohol Act), and
figures for these elections have not been included.
The number of voters on the electoral roll was
equivalent to 9 to 10 per cent of the population
between 1874and 1903. TheConstítutionof 1874
stipulated that the right to vote was reserved for
males of unblemished character, who were citi-
zens of the Danish Kingdomanddomiciled in their
constituency for at least one year, and within these
conditions restricted to the following categories:
Farmers having grazing rights; town burghers
paying at least 8 krónur a year in local govemment
tax; independent workers (i.e. householders) pay-
ing at least 12 krónur a year in local govemment
tax; govemment officials; and holders of certain
educatíonal titles. The minimum age for voting
was set at 25 years. The right to vote was withheld
from recipients of public maintenance benefit who
had not repaid the authorities, and those declared
incapable of managing their own affairs.
A change in the Constitution in 1903 lowered
the minimum local govemment tax required for
suffrage, previously set at 12 or 8 krónur, to 4
krónur a year. Between 1908 and 1914 the number
of voters on the electoral roll amounted to 14 to 15
per cent of the population.
Women and dependent workers (i.e. farm
workers and others who were included in theirem-
ployer’s household) gained limited suffrage with
the Constitutional amendments of 1915. Their
minimum age requirement was set at 40 years, and
would be lowered by one year each year for 15
years, resulting in equal age limits for all voters by
1930. The 4 krónur local govemment tax require-
ment was abolished. A new restriction on the right
to vote was entered, however, as voters had to have
been bom in Iceland or domiciled in the country
for five years. The ratio of eligible voters to total
population now went up to 30 per cent, and gradu-
ally increased in the following years as the mini-
mum age limit for the new voters was progres-
sively lowered.
In 1920 a new Constítution abolished the
special age limit for women and dependent work-
ers, and the ratio of eligible voters to the total
population rose to 45 per cent.
A change in the Constitution in 1934 brought
down the age limit for the right to vote to 21 years,
and acceptance of public maintenance benefit no
longer precluded the right to vote. The require-
ment of a domicile in the constituency for one year
or more was abolished. Eligible voters became a
majority of the nation for the first time as theirratio
went up to 56 per cent.
Changes in the proportion of voters among the
total population between 1934 and 1967 were
caused by demographic developments. The ratio
of eligible voters rose to almost 60 per cent in the
1940’s, with large cohorts reaching voting age. A
low in the number of births in the 1930’s meant
smaller cohorts were added to the number of eligi-
ble voters in the 1950’s, andcombined with alarge
increase in the number of births in the late 1940’ s
and the 1950’s this caused a fall in the level of
suffrage to 54 per cent of the total population.
In 1968 the Constitution was amended to low-
er the minimum voting age to 20 years. The re-
quirement of domicile in Iceland for five years be-
fore the election was abolished. Voters had no
longer to be capable of managing their own affairs
but had to be of legal majority. The proportion of
eligible voters among the population now rose to
56 per cent. From this time the ratío rose con-
stantly until 1983, when it hadreached 64 percent.
This development was caused by changes in the
age distribution of the population, as the whole in-
crease in the total population has occurred in age
groups above 20.
The right to vote was extended once more in
1984 through new amendments to the Constitu-
tion. The minimum voting age was lowered from
20 to 18 years. The deprivation of legal majority
does not cause the loss of the right to vote, and an
unblemished character is no longer a condition.
Furthermore, an exception from the condition of
domicile in Iceland can be effected through provi-
sions in the General Elections Act.
The General Elections Act was changed in this