Referendum set for 6 March 2010
The Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Mrs. Ragna Árnadóttir, has decided in consultation with the National
Electoral Commission of Iceland that a referendum is to be held on 6 March 2010 on the future validity of the Act No. 1/2010, amending the Act No. 96/2009 authorising the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the State Treasury, to issue a state guarantee of the loans granted by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands to the Depositors' and
Investors' Guarantee Fund of Iceland to cover payments to the depositors of Landsbanki Íslands hf. The Althingi
passed the Act No. 1/2010, but the President withheld his approval. Consequently, the Act is to be submitted to a referendum by the electorate, for approval or rejection by secret ballot.
All those who have the right to vote in general elections have the right to participate in the referendum. The referendum will be held in the same polling stations as are used in elections to the Althingi. The individual local authorities will advertise further details regarding the polling stations shortly before the referendum, including their siting, opening hours, divisions by constituency, etc.
Postal voting begins on 28 January
Postal voting, both in Iceland and abroad, opens on 28 January 2010. Voters who will not be able to vote on the day of
the referendum may cast postal ballots at any time from 28 January until the day of the referendum. Ballots may be cast at all district commissioners' offices in Iceland, both at their headquarters and branch offices. Postal voting outside Iceland opens on the same day; this will be under the supervision of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which will advertise further details.
Voters who are undergoing treatment in hospital, or who are inmates of hospitals, old people's homes or care institutions for the disabled, may cast their ballots in those institutions. The same applies to the inmates of prisons. Polling shall take place at a time to be decided by the election manager in consultation with the directors of the institution; in the case of hospitals it shall take place as close as possible to the day of the referendum. Furthermore, voters who are unable to visit a polling station on the day of the referendum due to illness, disability or childbirth, may cast their ballots in their homes. Applications to cast ballots at home shall be made in writing and supported by a certificate from a legally competent person regarding the voter's personal circumstances.