1971 Danish general election explained

Election Name:1971 Danish general election
Country:Kingdom of Denmark
Previous Election:1968
Next Election:1973
Seats For Election:All 179 seats in the Folketing
Majority Seats:90
Election Date:21 September 1971
Party1:Social Democrats (Denmark)
Last Election1:62
Seats1:70
Percentage1:37.27
Party2:Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
Last Election2:37
Seats2:31
Percentage2:16.69
Party3:Venstre (Denmark)
Last Election3:34
Seats3:30
Percentage3:15.64
Party4:Danish Social Liberal Party
Last Election4:27
Seats4:27
Percentage4:14.34
Party5:Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
Last Election5:11
Seats5:17
Percentage5:9.11
Heading6:Elected in the Faroe Islands
Party6:Social Democratic Party (Faroe Islands)
Last Election6:1
Seats6:1
Percentage6:31.77
Party7:People's Party (Faroe Islands)
Last Election7:1
Seats7:1
Percentage7:20.42
Heading8:Elected in Greenland
Party8:Independents
Leader8:
Last Election8:2
Seats8:2
Percentage8:100
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister-elect
Before Election:Hilmar Baunsgaard
Before Party:Danish Social Liberal Party
After Election:Jens Otto Krag
After Party:Social Democrats (Denmark)
Turnout:87.16%

General elections were held in Denmark on 21 September 1971 and in the Faroe Islands on 5 October.[1] [2] The Social Democratic Party remained the largest in the Folketing, with 70 of the 179 seats. Voter turnout was 87% in Denmark proper, 57% in the Faroe Islands and 52% in Greenland (where only one of the two constituencies was contested as the other had only a single candidate who was elected unopposed).[3]

Electoral system

All members were elected by party-list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies and in levelling seats filled at-large using overall party vote shares. The districts elected between 2 and 14 members each. They were the first elections using the new counties as constituencies.

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/DENMARK_1971_E.PDF Denmark
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, pp543-544