October, democracy in denmark, and competitive poster hanging: The Danish Year Part 10

Election posters are a colorful part of democracy in Denmark. In October, the campaigns swing into gear, and when whistle blows on a set date at precisely noon, teams of poster-hangers cover the country with the faces of their candidates. It's highly competitive; It’s against the law to take down posters once they’re hung, so there’s a big rush to get your party’s poster up first.

So on that October afternoon, you’ll see teams of young people rushing about Copenhagen, Aarhus, and countryside towns with ladders, and hardback posters, and zip ties, and measuring sticks, because all posters must be at least one-and-a-half meters below power lines.

There are a lot of young people available to do this because most Danish parties have a youth wing. There are also a lot of young candidates.

You’ll often see the candidates themselves putting up posters with their own face on them.

Danish design in election posters

In a country famous for great design, Danish election posters are surprisingly uniform.

Every poster features one smiling face, a name, and a party color — and that’s it.

No slogans, no promises, no policies. What does each candidate stand for? You’ll have to look it up yourself.

With 13 national political parties (and many more local ones), democracy in Denmark gives voters plenty of choices.

Many Danes use online tools and quizzes to find the party that matches their beliefs before they vote.

Democracy in Denmark: Expats can vote

Foreigners can take part in democracy in Denmark at least at the local level. If you’re an EU or UK citizen — or a non-EU citizen who has lived in a Danish municipality for at least four consecutive years — you can vote in local elections just like Danish citizens.

In Copenhagen, foreign residents make up around 15% of the potential voter base, though only a small share actually turn out on election day. To reach them, some Danish political parties take part in debates in English, hoping to win over international voters.

It’s an interesting contrast in Danish politics: while some leaders actively court the foreign vote, others continue to promote stricter immigration policies.

That mix is part of what makes democracy in Denmark so unique — open, practical, and sometimes a little contradictory.