At stake in this election:

• 169 seats in the Parliament (Storting)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King HARALD V
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG
• Assembly: Norway has a unicameral Parliament (Storting) with 169 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary head of state.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Parliament (Storting) 169 members are elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** There are 19 multi-member districts corresponding to Norway's counties. Any party that wins more than 4% of votes nationwide but does not win enough votes in any constituency to earn a seat is eligible for compensatory "leveling" seats. The electoral system is open list proportional representation; voters may reorder or cross out candidates on a party list. Seats are allotted using the Sainte-Laguë method.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Labour Party / Arbeiderpartiet (A)
  • Leader: Jens STOLTENBERG
  • Seats won in last election: 64
• Party: Progress Party / Fremskrittspartiet (Frp)
  • Leader: Siv JENSEN
  • Seats won in last election: 41
• Party: Conservative Party / Høyre (H)
  • Leader: Erna SOLBERG
  • Seats won in last election: 30
• Party: Socialist Left Party / Sosialistisk Venstreparti (SV)
  • Leader: Audun LYSBAKKEN
  • Seats won in last election: 11
• Party: Centre Party / Senterpartiet (Sp)
  • Leader: Liv Signe NAVARSETE
  • Seats won in last election: 11
• Party: Christian Democratic Party / Kristelig Folkeparti (KrF)
  • Leader: Knut Arild HAREIDE
  • Seats won in last election: 10
• Party: Liberal Party / Venstre (V)
  • Leader: Trine Skei GRANDE
  • Seats won in last election: 2
• Party: Green Party / Miljøpartiet De Grønne (MDG)
  • Leader: Hanna E. MARCUSSEN and Harald A. NISSEN
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: The Christians / De Kristne (DK)
  • Leader: Erik SELLE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 5,079,623 (2013)
• Registered Voters: 3,641,753 (September 2013)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,527,380 (2013)

·         Is Norway a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Norway ratified CEDAW: Yes (21 May 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 67 (following the 2013 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 1 (2014)

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

Disability Data:

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

·         Has Norway ratified CRPD: Yes (3 June 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 761,943 (est.)