Stockholm – Voting resumed on Monday for new Norwegian parliament in a two-day general election, where Prime Minister Erna Solberg of the Conservative Party is seeking a second term.
Solberg and her junior coalition partner, the right-wing populist Progress Party, have been backed during the past four years by the centrist Liberals and Christian Democrats.
Surveys suggest a tight race.
The government’s chances of securing a majority in the 169-seat legislature partly hinges on the centrist parties clearing the 4-per-cent hurdle to enter parliament.
Opposition Labour Party leader Jonas Gahr Store is hoping to return his party to office and form a red-green coalition with the Socialist Left Party and Centre Party.
The Greens, who currently have one seat in parliament, could determine the balance.
There are almost 3.8 million eligible voters.
As of Friday, a record 27 per cent of voters had cast absentee ballots, according to the election authority.
It said it had registered a new high of more than 1 million absentee ballots, topping the 2013 record of 855,255 absentee ballots.
Polling stations were open since on Sunday in some parts of the country, for instance the capital, Oslo, however, the Progress Party leader Siv Jensen and Labour’s Store were among party leaders who voted Sunday.
Solberg was due to vote Monday in her home city of Bergen where polling stations were not open Sunday.
Polls are set to close at 7 p.m. as election results are expected to be released late night today. (dpa/NAN)
