The general elections in Greenland have become notorious for a relatively low and declining voter turnout.
Back in the 2022 general election, a new low was reached, when only 47.8 percent of voters cast their votes.
However, something new happened on Tuesday, and the long-standing decline in voter turnout was reversed.
The voter turnout on Tuesday was 52.3 percent. An increase of 4.5 percentage points.
We have to go back to the 2011 general election to find a higher voter turnout.
In Tuesday's election, 21,428 votes were cast, compared to 19,733 votes in 2022. An increase of 1,695 votes.
Greenland has become a "hot topic"
During the election campaign, several parties have stated that this parliamentary election would be particularly important for Greenland given the geopolitical situation, where US President Donald Trump has turned the world's attention to Greenland with his statements that the US needs Greenland for the sake of the country's national security.
On election night, Sermitsiaq caught the attention of Demokraatits' Anna Wangenheim, and she assessed that the international attention and the high number of candidates would push up the voter turnout:
- I think that, first of all, it is an expression of the fact that we have so many candidates running.
- And then everything that is happening around the world. Greenland has become a geopolitical hub. Hot topic, as they say. And that also means that people are interested in voting, because they can see that it is an important election. Because the crisis is not over yet, and that affects people, said Anne Wangenheim.
