Forsetakjör - 01.11.1997, Page 6

Preface
The present report on the presidential election, held on 29
June 1996, is number 48 in the series of Icelandic election
reports.
After its foundation in 1914 Statistics Iceland became
responsible for compiling and publishing reports on elec-
tions in the country. The first report in 1914 covered general
elections in the period 1908-1914, but two election reports
covering the period 1874-1911 had already been published
in 1882 and 1912. From the beginning the institution has
published its reports on general elections to the Althingi, on
presidential elections and referenda in the series Statistics of
Iceland, altogether 32 publications including the present
issue. Since 1930 Statistics Iceland has also compiled reports
on local government elections. These appeared in Monthly
Statistics until the institution started to publish them sepa-
rately in the Statistics oflceland series, the first covering the
elections in 1990.
In 1988, Statistics Iceland published in two volumes all
reports that had been compiled on general elections, local
government elections, presidential elections and referenda in
the period 1874-1987, in all 43 reports. Since then reports
have been issued on the presidential elections in 1988, local
government elections in 1990 and the general elections in
1991 and 1995. The issue of election reports is outlined on
pages 40—41 in this publication.
Presidential elections are held according to the Presiden-
tial Candidacy and Election Act dating from 1945, which has
remained more or less unchanged in substance since then.
The execution of presidential elections, however, is in most
respects govemed by the General Election Act that has
undergone considerable amendments in the past decades,
e.g. regarding the compilation of electoral rolls, the fran-
chise, absentee voting and the division of the country into
constituencies. Such changes are accounted for in this report.
The sources on which the present report is based are the
following:
1. Statistics on voters on the electoral roll and votes cast are
based on reports submitted by local election boards to
Statistics Iceland.
2. Information on the presidential candidates and the pre-
scribed number of signatures in support of their candi-
dacy is based on advertisements issued by the Office of
the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Justice.
3. Statistics on election results were obtained from a report
issued by the Supreme Court of Iceland.
For Statistics Iceland, Guðni Baldursson has been in
charge of the data collection, processing and compiling of
this report. Sigurborg Steingrímsdóttir has been responsible
for the layout.
In November 1997
Hallgn'mur Snorrason
Director-General