1844 Icelandic parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland in 1844.[1] They were the first elections in the country's history.[2]

Electoral system

edit

The Althing was composed of 26 members, twenty of which were elected and six of which were appointed by the monarch. The twenty members were elected in single-member constituencies by plurality voting. Each voter had two votes, with the runner-up becoming the MP's deputy.[3] Voting was restricted to male property owners over the age of 25.[2]

The constituencies were the counties of Iceland in addition to Reykjavík, the country's capital and only market town at the time.

Results

edit

Elected members

edit
Member Constituency
Jón Johnsen Árnessýsla
Eyjólfur Einarsson Barðastrandarsýsla
Hannes Stephensen Borgarfjarðarsýsla
Þorvaldur Sívertsen Dalasýsla
Stefán Jónsson Eyjafjarðarsýsla
Jón Guðmundsson Gullbringu- og Kjósarsýsla
Þorgrímur Tómasson Gullbringu- og Kjósarsýsla
Magnús R. Ólsen Húnavatnssýsla
Jón Sigurðsson Ísafjarðarsýsla
Helgi Helgason Mýrasýsla
Þorsteinn Gunnarsson Norður-Múlasýsla
Jakob Pétursson Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla
Skúli Thorarensen Rangárvallasýsla
Árni Helgason Reykjavík
Jón Guðmundsson Skaftafellssýsla
Jón Samsonarson Skagafjarðarsýsla
Kristján Magnusen Snæfellsnessýsla
Ásgeir Einarsson Strandasýsla
Sveinn Sveinsson Suður-Múlasýsla
Þorsteinn Pálsson Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla

Appointed members

edit
Bjarni Thorsteinsson
Björn Blöndal
Halldór Jónsson
Helgi Thordersen
Páll Melsteð
Þórður Jónasson
Þórður Sveinbjörnsson

References

edit
  1. ^ Arend Lijphart and Bernard Grofman (2007) The Evolution of Electoral and Party Systems in the Nordic Countries, Algora Publishing, p105
  2. ^ a b Gudmundur Halfdanarson (2008) Historical Dictionary of Iceland, Scarecrow Press, p52
  3. ^ Lijphart and Grofman, p103