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Article 12
 

12. (1) New parties wishing to participate in a general election must apply for registration with the Minister for Social Welfare not later than noon 15 days prior to election day. This application must be accompanied by declarations from voters whose number corresponds to 1/175 of all valid votes cast in the last general election as a minimum. No voters’ declarations are required in the case of the party of the German minority.

(2) The voters’ declarations are to be stated on a form which has been approved by the Election Board in advance, cf. section 17. The approval remains valid for three years counting from the day of the approval. In connection with approval of the form the Election Board will decide whether the name of the new party can be approved, cf. section 13. Approval of the party name remains valid for the same term as approval of the form. An application for approval of a form regarding a new party whose name is non-approvable, cf. section 13, cannot be filed until 30 days before expiry of the period during which the name cannot be approved.

(3) The Election Board may extend approval of the form and party name by one year upon request, to be calculated from expiry of the previous approval if there is reason to believe that registration of the party will take place within the time of the extension. In special cases extension may be granted more than once. Any request for extension, apart from exceptional circumstances, must be received by the day the previous approval expires. If a request for extension of approval is received by the ultimate date of the previous approval, the approval shall be upheld until the validity of the request has been decided.

(4) If the party has not been registered within the stipulated time of approval for the party’s voters’ declaration form, including any extension allowed, cf subsections (2) and (3), the person in respect of which the voters’ declaration form has been approved cannot apply for approval of a form carrying the same party name until one year after the previous approval has expired. However, this rule shall not apply if other persons are prevented from obtaining approval of the party name under section 13 subsections (1)(ii) and (v) and subsection (2).

(5) The voters’ declarations must, in order to be included, be duly completed, with distinct indication of the name of the voter, CRS number, permanent address, and be signed and dated by the voter in his or her own handwriting. The declarations must furthermore be furnished with a certificate from the local national registration office attesting to the fulfilment by the voter of the conditions of franchise for the Folketing at the time of issuing the declaration. No attestation shall take place where the voter is deceased after the declaration was issued.

(6) After attestation, the national registration office shall send the voter’s declaration to the appropriate voter. The voter shall then himself or herself forward the declaration to the party if the voter has a continued interest in participating in the registration of the appropriate party. In forwarding the voter’s declaration, the national registration office shall inform the voter accordingly. The national registration office shall return voters’ declarations which do not fulfil the conditions for attestation to the party, with indication of the reason for not granting its attestation.

(7) A voter’s declaration shall not be included, however, if it:

(i) was made 18 months or more before registration of the party, cf. subsection (1); or,

(ii) was made by a voter who has already issued a declaration in favour of a party registered according to subsection (1).

(8) An application for registration of a party remains valid until the first general election is

subsequently held, however, for one year from the day of registration as a minimum.

(9) The Minister for Social Welfare shall keep the voters’ declarations as long as the application for registration remains valid and shall subsequently destroy them.