Electoral commissions

Each polling ward shall have one local electoral commission that shall consist of three persons who are elected by the municipal government and an equal number of alternates.

In municipalities where there are more than one polling wards the municipality can elect a special three-person electoral commission that is to supervise the work of the local electoral commissions. Where there are more than one polling wards at the same polling station the municipal government shall elect a special three-person electoral commission (a neighbourhood or senior commission) that is to supervise the work of the local electoral commissions at the polling station. If there are more than one such polling stations the municipal government shall, in the same manner, elect a special senior electoral commission for the municipality. With the approval of the senior electoral commissions of the Reykjavík constituencies the Mayor may decide that these electoral commissions may manage the tasks of the senior electoral commissions in each of the two constituencies of the City of Reykjavík. These electoral commissions shall generally be on stand-by to attend, without notice, meetings held on the election day for the purposes of decision making and delivering rulings in connection with the elections, if needed.

The electoral commissions shall be elected at the first meeting of the newly elected municipal government for a term of four years. Where the electoral commissions are elected according to paragraph 2, the municipal government may postpone the election of the local and neighbourhood electoral commissions so that they will be elected for a period of one year prior to each general parliamentary election to the Althing.Municipal governments may also postpone an election of one or more alternates. Electoral commissions select their own President of the electoral commission and allocate tasks among the members.