IFES
 

Aug. 29, 2026 Confirmed

Iceland
Republic of Iceland
Referendum

General Information

At Stake in this Election:  

Iceland will hold a national referendum on 29 August 2026 to determine whether the country should resume negotiations with the European Union for formal membership.  

Icelandic (original):  

  • Á Ísland að hefja á ný aðildarviðræður við Evrópusambandið? 

  • Svarmöguleikar: “Já” og “Nei” 

English (formal translation):  

  • Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union? 

  • Options: “Yes” or “No” 

 

Government Structure:  

  • Head of State: President Halla TÓMASDÓTTIR(since 1 August 2024) 

  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Kristrún FROSTADÓTTIR (since 21 December 2024) 

  • Assembly: unicameral Parliament (Althingi) with 63-seats  

 

Electoral System:  

  • The President is elected by plurality for a four-year term. There are no term limits for the Presidency.  

  • The Prime Minister is appointed by the President to lead the cabinet of ministers. The size and roles of the cabinet are determined by the President.  

  • Members of the unicameral Althingi are directly elected through list proportional representation to four-year renewable terms.  

 

Last Election:  

The last referendum in Iceland was held on October 20, 2012, where voters weighed in on changes to the constitution. Voter turnout was 48.96%. 

 

Information for Voters: 

Þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsla um aðildarviðræður við ESB /Referendum on EU Accession Negotiations (in Icelandic)  

 

Key Deadlines:  

 

Country Context: 

  • Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.972, Very high, Rank 1 (2025)   

 

Gender Data: 

  • CEDAW Status: Signed 24 July 1980, Ratified 18 June 1985  

  • Gender Quota: No 

  • Female Candidates in this election: N/A 

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

 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Signed 30 March 2007, Ratified 23 September 2016 

  • Projected population with a disability: 30,615 (2025 est.) 

 

IFES Resources: 

Election Modified: Aug 04, 2026

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