At stake in this Referendum:

• Icelandic citizens will be voting on whether or not to adopt a new draft constitution, and on certain proposals related to the draft constitution.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Johanna SIGURDARDOTTIR
• Assembly: Iceland has a unicameral Althing with 63 seats. ***

*** There are six multi-member districts. Each of nine compensatory seats is assigned by the election commission corresponds to a multi-member district. These seats are awarded to parties from the same open lists in order to make the parties' overall seat shares proportional to their national vote shares. Parties must clear a 5 percent threshold to win these compensatory seats.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Should the Constitutional Council’s proposals for the basis of a new draft constitution? Voters will be asked, “Do you wish the Constitution Council's proposals to form the basis of a new draft Constitution?”
• Whether non-privately owned natural resources are to be declared national property. Voters will be asked, “In the new Constitution, do you want natural resources that are not privately owned to be declared national property?”
• Should there be a provision for the establishment of a national church in Iceland? Voters will be asked, “Would you like to see provisions in the new Constitution on an established (national) church in Iceland?”
• The addition of a provision in order to create a more equal gender distribution in the Parliament. Voters will be asked, “Would you like to see a provision in the new Constitution authorizing the election of particular individuals to the Alþingi more than is the case at present?”
• A change to the electoral system to create equally weighted electoral districts. Voters will be asked, “Would you like to see a provision in the new Constitution giving equal weight to votes cast in all parts of the country?”
• A provision in the constitution to allow the citizens to call for a nationwide referendum. Voters will be asked, “Would you like to see a provision in the new Constitution stating that a certain proportion of the electorate is able to demand that issues are put to a referendum?”

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 320,716 (2012)
• Registered Voters: 236,903 (October 2012 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 159,654 (2012)

·         Is Iceland a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (24 July 1980)

·         Has Iceland ratified CEDAW: Yes (18 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 27 (following the 2009 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 16

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Iceland a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Iceland ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 48,107 (est.)