Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is urging people to vote by mail in the EU elections and is showing how easy it is. On June 9, many Danes are expected to go to polling stations to cast their votes, but the Prime Minister has already done so in advance in Aalborg. There, she voted for the Social Democrats’ lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose, to highlight how simple it is to vote by mail. Frederiksen wants as many people as possible to participate in the democratic process and avoid missing the opportunity to vote if they are, for example, working, on vacation, or otherwise unable to on June 9. “It has become much easier to vote by mail than before. You can do it at your local library. So if you already know who you want to vote for and maybe are unable to on election day, I encourage you to vote by mail,” says Mette Frederiksen. Mail voting opened at the end of April and lasts until June 6. To vote by mail, you simply need to show up at a valid mail voting location and bring either a passport or driver’s license. Frederiksen acknowledges that some of the election day atmosphere is lost by voting by mail but stresses that it is more important for all votes to be cast. Even though the election campaign is in full swing and the candidates’ posters adorn the streets, several have noticed that the atmosphere cannot quite match that of parliamentary and municipal elections. However, this does not concern the Prime Minister, who points out that it is normal for voter turnout to be lower in EU elections. “But overall, Danes always follow quite well,” she says. Employment Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen has also chosen to vote by mail and shares her encouragement on Facebook: “Maybe you are camping, at a soccer tournament, or at grandma’s birthday. But then you can do like me and vote right now,” she writes. Mette Frederiksen and her government colleagues hope that their example will inspire more people to make use of the option to vote by mail.

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