Delegation of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan Took Part in the 

Observation of Parliamentary Elections in Norway

The delegation of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan, headed by Chairman Nurlan Abdirov, participated in international observation of the parliamentary elections in the Kingdom of Norway at the invitation of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Ahead of the elections to the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), the Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan took part in a seminar entitled “Norwegian Elections and the new Election Act.”

The seminar featured presentations and discussions on topics such as Norway’s updated electoral legislation, elections and artificial intelligence, the role and importance of the Directorate of Elections, the country’s political landscape in 2025, campaign financing, and other pressing issues. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Directorate of Elections, as well as experts and researchers from the Institute for Social Research.

Following the seminar, bilateral meetings were held. Chairman Nurlan Abdirov met with the Director of the Norwegian Directorate of Elections, Benedicte Bjørnland, who shared information on the features of Norway’s electoral system, as well as the administrative, organizational, and methodological work of the Directorate.

During a bilateral meeting with Katrine Sætre, Director General of the Department of Local Government at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, information was provided on practical issues of election administration, interaction between central and local executive bodies, and the coordination of their activities in organizing the electoral process.

On Election Day, 8 September 2025, the delegation visited polling stations as part of international observation, becoming acquainted with the course of the electoral campaign. 

The delegation also observed the ballot-scanning process at the central counting facility. In addition, the delegation monitored the closing of polling stations in Oslo and the initial counting of ballots.

On the same day, Chairman Nurlan Abdirov held a meeting with Ørnulf Røhnebæk, Chair of the National Election Committee of Norway. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation and emphasized the importance of electoral collaboration between the two countries, noting that such partnerships plays an important role in strengthening the established friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Norway.

During the meetings, Norwegian colleagues were briefed on the key points of the Address of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the People of Kazakhstan “Kazakhstan in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Key Challenges and Their Solutions through Digital Transformation.” They were also informed about parliamentary reform initiatives and the established practice of adopting key decisions through nationwide referendums. At the conclusion of the meetings, the Kazakhstani delegation presented the Norwegian side with a scholarly publication prepared by the CEC of Kazakhstan, including its English edition - the monograph “30 Years of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Transformation of the Electoral System of the Republic of Kazakhstan.” The meetings were also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Norway, Adil Tursunov.

As part of the visit, members of the delegation took part in a special briefing dedicated to the electoral campaign, during which representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development provided detailed information about the voting process.

For Reference

The Parliament of Norway - the Storting - is unicameral and consists of 169 members elected from 19 multi-member constituencies. For many years, elections have been conducted under a proportional system (party lists).

Elections are scheduled for one of the Mondays in September, though municipalities are permitted to open polling stations on Sunday for the convenience of voters.

The elections were held under the updated electoral legislation.

A defining feature of the elections, according to both the general public and electoral authorities, was the priority of paper ballots. Paper ballots and in-person voting are considered by many a guarantee of fair elections.

All citizens who are 18 years old, or who will turn 18 during the election year, are eligible to vote.

Norway allows multi-day voting. Advance voting held from 11 August to 5 September. In addition, for Norwegian citizens unable to participate in the main campaign, preliminary voting was available starting on 1 July. Nearly 65% of voters who took part in the elections made use of this opportunity.

Norwegian citizens residing abroad could vote at diplomatic missions or by mail.

The total number of registered voters exceeded 4 million. Overall, voter turnout was high, reaching 78%.

Election administrators expressed serious concern about the spread of disinformation and deepfakes during the electoral period. To coordinate efforts to counteract these threats, an inter-ministerial working group operates in the country.

Foreign financing of electoral campaigns is prohibited, but there are no upper limits on the amount of funds that political parties may raise for their election campaigns.

The vast majority of polling stations are located in educational institutions. Media representatives may be present at polling stations only with the consent of higher election commissions and with the authorization of the relevant precinct election commission.