Primary Election Rules

Pirate Party Candidacy for the 2026 Municipal Elections

Prepared by: Olga Margrét Cilia

For: The Pirate Party in Reykjavík

Approved: 29 January 2026 by the board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík

Primary election rules and instructions for candidacy in the Pirate Party primary for the 2026 municipal elections in Reykjavík.

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The board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík hereby announces a primary election to select candidates for the party list in the Reykjavík municipal elections on 16 May 2026. At a members' meeting on 24 January 2026, it was approved to grant the board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík authority to extend the deadlines in its laws regarding the primary election to ensure the foundation and infrastructure are up to date for its execution. Participants and members are encouraged to stay informed about dates and events related to the primary election via the Pirate Party's mailing list, piratar.is, and social media.

The timeline is therefore presented subject to change:

31 January: Candidacy announcements open.

14 February: Candidacy announcements close.

15 February – 26 February: Introduction of candidates

26 February - 6 March: Voting on x.piratar.is

6 March: Election results announced.

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Those who intend to run in the Pirate Party primary in Reykjavík are kindly asked to familiarise themselves with these primary election rules. If any questions arise about the primary rules, execution, or anything else, please contact the board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík at reykjavik@piratar.is. Answers to questions will be published on the association's FAQ page at piratar.is

Eligibility

Anyone who is a registered member of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík and meets the legal requirements for eligibility may run in the Pirate Party primary in Reykjavík.

  1. There is no requirement for candidates to have been registered members of the association for a specific period. Therefore, anyone is free to register with the Pirate Party in Reykjavík and announce their candidacy before the election begins.

  2. According to the Elections Act No. 112/2021, anyone who has the right to vote in the municipality is eligible for election to municipal councils. That is:

    1. Any Icelandic citizen who has reached the age of 18 and has a registered legal domicile in the municipality.

    2. Any Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, or Swedish citizen who has reached the age of 18 and has a registered legal domicile in the municipality.

    3. Any foreign citizen who has had a registered legal domicile in Iceland for three consecutive years before election day, who has reached the age of 18, and has a registered legal domicile in the municipality.


In addition, a candidate must have an unblemished reputation and, according to the law, “no one has an unblemished reputation who has been convicted of a criminal offense and the sentence is an unconditional prison sentence, from the day the sentence is passed until the sentence is fully served.”

Voting Rights

Those who are registered members of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík 10 days before the primary election voting begins have the right to vote in the primary.

Candidacy Deadline

The deadline for candidacy is until 2 pm on 14 February 2026.

Withdrawal of Candidacy

A candidate may withdraw their candidacy until midnight on 25 February or one day before voting opens. The withdrawal of candidacy must be announced by email to: profkjor26@piratar.is.

Rules on the List Ranking of Candidates

Once the election is closed, the candidate list will be ranked according to the results of a preferential vote using the Schulze method in the Pirate Party's voting system. A candidate may choose to take a lower seat on the list, in which case other candidates will move up the list by a simple transfer.

If a candidate declines a seat or is unable to accept it, the person in question is removed from the list and other candidates move up the list by a simple transfer.

If a candidate is not eligible, they may be removed from the list. The Electoral Commission of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík will fill the seats that are not filled at the end of the primary, guided by the principles of inclusion and equality. The Electoral Commission is authorised to add others who were not in the primary to the list with their own consent and in consultation with the board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík.

Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises regarding the primary election rules, the eligibility of candidates, or the conduct of the primary, it shall be referred to the Appeals Committee.

A dispute may concern the eligibility of candidates, the voting rights of individuals, the execution of the primary, the results of the primary, and violations of rules or codes of conduct.

Candidates or party members with voting rights in the primary may submit a complaint to the Appeals Committee.

A complaint must be in writing and substantiated. The deadline for submitting a complaint is two days after the primary election ends.

The Appeals Committee may, with the consent of the parties, seek to mediate matters. If no settlement is reached, the committee will take the case for resolution and issue a written decision, which entails a dismissal, a confirmation, or an instruction to the Electoral Commission for correction.

The Appeals Committee consists of Sigurbjörg Erla, Lilja Sif, and Kristján Gísli. If a dispute arises, an email should be sent to urskurdarnefnd@piratar.is.

Announcing a Candidacy

A candidate shall announce their candidacy by sending an email to profkjor26@piratar.is. The Pirate Party's Electoral Commission accepts candidacies. The personal information submitted will be used for the promotion of candidates and for the information of the Electoral Commission of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík.

Information will be published publicly, with the exception of the national ID number, legal domicile, telephone number, and email address. The following must be stated in the candidacy announcement:

  • The candidate shall declare their eligibility according to Article 6, cf. Article 4 of the Election Act No.. 112/2021

  • Full name

  • National ID number

  • Position, job title or occupation

  • Legal domicile

  • Phone number and email address - will not be published publicly

  • Photograph that may be published publicly.

  • A short introductory text that will be published on piratar.is

Please note that from 15-17 February, candidates will be offered to have a photo taken, video recording made, or receive assistance with their introductory text. Candidates' promotional material will be published on piratar.is, the party's social media, and on the Pirate Party's election system page x.piratar.is. Candidates are encouraged to use this material to promote themselves.

By announcing their candidacy, the candidate confirms that they have familiarised themselves with the primary election rules and code of conduct and agree to abide by them.

Obligations of those who accept a place on the list:

By signing, the candidate accepts their final place on the list and also gives their consent for the list's ombudsmen. This must be done no later than four days before the deadline for submitting candidacies, 10 April 2026. If a signature is not received in time, the candidate may be removed from the list.

Candidates are encouraged to contribute to collecting endorsements for the Pirate Party's list for the election. Each candidate is expected to provide 10 endorsements.

Code of Conduct

  1. Candidates in the primary election shall show other candidates courtesy and respect and conduct themselves with civility, both in speech and in writing.

  2. Candidates shall disclose all interests that could be relevant to their candidacy.

  3. The candidate is aware that their life may come under scrutiny in such a way that their past is brought up for the purpose of discrediting the individual and thereby the candidacy. Candidates are aware that their past and life may be subject to criticism. Discussions may even arise for the purpose of discrediting the individual and thereby the Pirate Party's candidacy as a whole.

  4. Candidates shall act honestly, be truthful and objective.

  5. Candidates shall regard their position as Pirate Party candidates in a responsible and humble manner.

  6. To ensure equality, candidates are encouraged to exercise moderation in the use of funds for their own promotional material. The aim is for each candidate to spend no more than ISK 50,000 on their candidacy and are expected to account for the use of funds post election. Examples of self-promotion include hosting events and paid advertisements on social media.

  7. The board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík will ensure that equality among candidates is maintained by offering a promotional page on piratar.is, holding introductory meetings and other events while the election is open, so that candidates have as many opportunities as possible to introduce themselves to voters. See above for types of assistance offered.

Good to keep in mind before you announce your candidacy

Candidates are strongly encouraged to run for the primaries fully intending to take a seat on the list, even if it is lower than they would have wished for.

Candidates are encouraged to state which seat they are running for. This makes it easier for voters to rank the list according to the candidates' wishes.

To reduce recalculations, it is recommended that candidates announce the following in advance when announcing their candidacy at profkjor26@piratar.is:

The highest seat a candidate is willing to accept and move down to if they end up higher on the list.

The lowest seat a candidate would accept.

Finally:

As a general rule, it will be assumed that a candidate wants to take the highest possible seat based on the results of the primary.

Candidates are encouraged to answer the following questions and send them along with their introductory text to profkjor26@piratar.is. The answers will be published on the candidate's profile page on piratar.is

  1. What motivated you to run for the Pirate Party?

  2. What are your main strengths for the role of a Pirate Party City Council representative?

  3. What is your vision for the City of Reykjavík and what issues are you particularly passionate about?

  4. A fun fact about you or something else that might get people interested in your candidacy?

Published subject to changes and errors.

Pirate greetings,
The Board of the Pirate Party in Reykjavík
reykjavik@piratar.is



Laws

Articles 4 - 6 of the Elections Act No. 112/2021

Article 4. Right to vote in municipal elections.

The right to vote in municipal elections is held by:

a. every Icelandic citizen who has reached the age of 18 at the time of the election and has a registered legal domicile in the municipality,

b. every Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish citizen, provided they otherwise meet the conditions of item a,

c. every foreign citizen, other than those specified in item b, who has had a registered legal domicile in Iceland for three consecutive years before election day, provided they otherwise meet the conditions of item a.

If a student, cf. Paragraph 4 of Article 9 of the Act on Legal Domicile and Residence, No. 80/2018, has moved their legal domicile from the country to Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Norway, or Sweden in accordance with the Nordic Agreement on Population Registration, they shall not be deemed to have lost their right to vote in the municipality where they had their registered legal domicile upon departure, provided they otherwise meet the conditions of item a of Paragraph 1 and submit an application according to Paragraph 3 to exercise their right to vote. The same applies to their spouse, cohabiting partner, and children who reside with them in the respective country.

In order to exercise the right to vote according to Paragraph 2, an application must be sent to Registers Iceland [no later than 40] 1) days before election day each time a municipal election is held. Registers Iceland shall issue instructions on the receipt and processing of applications to exercise the right to vote according to Paragraph 2. These may provide for an electronic application process. A refusal by Registers Iceland may be appealed to the Electoral Appeals Committee.

Article 5. Right to vote and electoral rolls.

No one may exercise their right to vote unless their name is on the electoral roll when the election takes place.

Article 6. Art. Eligibility.

Anyone who has the right to vote pursuant to Art. 3 and has an unblemished reputation is eligible for election to Althingi. However, Supreme Court judges are not eligible for election to Althingi.

Anyone who has the right to vote in a municipality pursuant to Art. 4 and has an unblemished reputation is eligible for election to a municipal council.

No one who has been convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced to unconditional imprisonment shall be considered to have an unblemished reputation, from the day the judgment is rendered until the sentence has been fully served.

Eligibility for the presidency of Iceland is governed by Art. 4 of the Constitution.