Reykjavík South (Althing constituency)

Reykjavík South (Icelandic: Reykjavík suður) is one of the six multi-member constituencies of the Althing, the national legislature of Iceland. The constituency was established in 2003 when the existing Reykjavík constituency was split into two. The constituency currently elects nine^[a] of the 63 members of the Althing using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2024 parliamentary election it had 47,619 registered electors.

Reykjavík South
Reykjavík suður
Constituency for the Althing
Location of Reykjavík South within Iceland
Municipality	Reykjavík
Region	Capital
Electorate	47,619 (2024)
Current Constituency
Created	2003
Seats	9 (2003–present)[a]
Member of the Althing[1]	List   Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (D)   Hildur Sverrisdóttir (D)   Inga Sæland (F)   Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson (S)   Jón Gnarr (C)   Jón Pétur Zimsen (D)   Kolbrún Baldursdóttir (F)   Kristján Þórður Snæbjarnarson (S)   Ragna Sigurðardóttir (S)   Snorri Másson (M)   Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir (C)
Created from	Reykjavík

History

In March 1843 King Christian VIII of Denmark issued a royal decree converting the Althing into a consultative assembly. It consisted to 20 members popularly elected from single-member constituencies, one of which was Reykjavík.^[2][3] In the subsequent decades the electoral process, size of Althing and constituencies changed several time. Reykjavík became a two-member constituency in 1903 (effective 1904).^[4] In 1920 (effective 1923) it became a four-member constituency using proportional representation.^[5] It became a six-member constituency in 1934 and an eight-member constituency in 1942.^[5][6]

One of the main reasons for the changes was the shift in population from rural to urban areas, particularly Reykjavík.^[2] The changes however always lagged behind population shifts.^[2] This resulted in rural constituencies being over-represented in the Althing. The disproportionately in the voting power of rural and urban voters was as high as 10:1 by the mid 20th century.^[2] The over-representation of rural constituencies favoured the Progressive Party, whose support base was mostly farmers.^[2] The party was over-represented in Althing even after the introduction of compensatory seats (equalisation seas) in 1934.

The constituencies were radically altered in 1959 when the single and two-member constituencies were abolished and replaced by seven multi-member constituencies using proportional representation.^[2][6] The number of seats allocated to Reykjavík was increased from 8 to 12 at the same time.^[2] This reduced the disproportionately in the voting power of rural and urban voters to 3:1.^[2]

In September 1997 Prime Minister Davíð Oddsson appointed a committee headed by Friðrik Klemenz Sophusson to review the division of constituencies in Iceland and the organisation of elections. The committee's report was published in October 1998 and recommended, amongst other things, that the number of constituencies be reduced and that they be more equal in population size.^[7] The Althing passed an amendment to the constitution in June 1999 which removed the reference to specific eight constituencies contained within Article 31 and instead simply stated that there would be six or seven constituencies and that the Althing would determine the boundaries between the constituencies.^[8] The amendment also required that if, following an election to Althing, the number of registered electors per seat (including compensatory seats) in any constituency is less than half of that in another constituency, the National Electoral Commission shall change the allocation of seats so as to reduce the imbalance.^[8] This reduced the disproportionately in the voting power of rural and urban voters to 2:1.

Reykjavík South was one of six constituencies (kjördæmi) established by the "Elections to the Althing Act no. 24/2000" (Lög um kosningar til Alþingis, nr. 24/2000) passed by the Althing in May 2000.^[9] The Act required that, when an election to Althing had been called, the National Electoral Commission had to determine the boundaries between the Reykjavík South and Reykjavík North constituencies so that the number of registered electors per seat (including compensatory seats) is approximately the same.^[9] The Act initially allocated eleven seats to the constituency - nine constituency seats and two compensatory seats.^[9]

Electoral system

Reykjavík South currently elects nine^[a] of the 63 members of the Althing using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system.^[10][11] Constituency seats are allocated using the D'Hondt method.^[12][13] Compensatory seats (equalisation seas) are calculated based on the national vote and are allocated using the D'Hondt method at the constituency level.^[14][15] Only parties that reach the 5% national threshold compete for compensatory seats.^[13][16]

Election results

Summary

Election	Left-Green V / U			Social Democrats S			People's F			Pirate P / Þ			Viðreisn C			Progressive B			Independence D			Centre M
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
2024	1,080	2.90%	0	8,541	22.93%	3	5,022	13.48%	1	1,445	3.88%	0	6,581	17.66%	2	1,638	4.40%	0	6,553	17.59%	2	3,917	10.51%	1
2021	5,212	14.68%	1	4,720	13.29%	1	3,169	8.93%	1	3,875	10.91%	1	3,067	8.64%	1	4,077	11.48%	1	8,089	22.78%	3	1,456	4.10%	0
2017	6,750	18.90%	2	4,661	13.05%	1	2,914	8.16%	1	4,076	11.41%	1	3,043	8.52%	1	2,897	8.11%	1	8,145	22.80%	2	2,701	7.56%	0
2016	6,149	17.63%	2	1,945	5.58%	0	1,614	4.63%	0	6,030	17.29%	2	4,440	12.73%	1	2,564	7.35%	1	8,930	25.60%	3
2013	4,279	12.12%	1	5,007	14.18%	2				2,179	6.17%	0				5,931	16.80%	2	9,466	26.82%	3
2009	8,106	22.88%	2	11,667	32.94%	3										3,435	9.70%	1	8,211	23.18%	2
2007	5,065	14.35%	1	10,234	29.00%	3										2,081	5.90%	0	13,846	39.23%	5
2003	3,438	9.32%	1	12,286	33.30%	3										4,185	11.34%	1	14,029	38.03%	4

(Excludes compensatory seats.)

Detailed

2020s

2024

Results of the 2024 parliamentary election held on 30 November 2024:^[17]

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	8,541	22.93%	3	0	3
	Viðreisn	C	6,581	17.66%	2	0	2
	Independence Party	D	6,553	17.59%	2	1	3
	People's Party	F	5,022	13.48%	1	1	2
	Centre Party	M	3,917	10.51%	1	0	1
	Socialist Party of Iceland	J	2,091	5.61%	0	0	0
	Progressive Party	B	1,638	4.40%	0	0	0
	Pirate Party	P	1,445	3.88%	0	0	0
	Left-Green Movement	V	1,080	2.90%	0	0	0
	Democratic Party	L	388	1.04%	0	0	0
Valid votes			37,256	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			337	0.89%
Rejected votes – other			72	0.19%
Total polled			37,665	79.10%
Registered electors			47,619

The following candidates were elected:^[18]

• Constituency seats - Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (D), 6,463.17 votes; Hildur Sverrisdóttir (D), 5,437.67 votes; Inga Sæland (F), 5,017.50 votes; Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson (S), 8,504.67 votes; Jón Gnarr (C), 4,776.25 votes; Kristján Þórður Snæbjarnarson (S), 5,688.17 votes; Ragna Sigurðardóttir (S), 7,120.50 votes; Snorri Másson (M), 3,883.67 votes; and Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir (C), 6,547.50 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Jón Pétur Zimsen (D), 4,382.17 votes; and Kolbrún Baldursdóttir (F), 3,757.75 votes.

2021

Results of the 2021 parliamentary election held on 25 September 2021:^[19]

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	8,089	22.78%	3	0	3
	Left-Green Movement	V	5,212	14.68%	1	1	2
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	4,720	13.29%	1	0	1
	Progressive Party	B	4,077	11.48%	1	0	1
	Pirate Party	P	3,875	10.91%	1	1	2
	People's Party	F	3,169	8.93%	1	0	1
	Viðreisn	C	3,067	8.64%	1	0	1
	Socialist Party of Iceland	J	1,691	4.76%	0	0	0
	Centre Party	M	1,456	4.10%	0	0	0
	Liberal Democratic Party	O	148	0.42%	0	0	0
Valid votes			35,504	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			580	1.60%
Rejected votes – other			117	0.32%
Total polled			36,201	79.19%
Registered electors			45,716

The following candidates were elected:^[20]

• Constituency seats - Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (D), 7,990.50 votes; Birgir Ármannsson (D), 5,391.67 votes; Björn Leví Gunnarsson (P), 3,865.25 votes; Hanna Katrín Friðriksson (C), 3,056.67 votes; Hildur Sverrisdóttir (D), 6,719.17 votes; Inga Sæland (F), 3,168.00 votes; Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir (S), 4,714.33 votes; Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir (B), 4,041.00 votes; and Svandís Svavarsdóttir (V), 5,127.50 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Arndís Anna K. Gunnarsdóttir (P), 2,904.25 votes; and Orri Páll Jóhannsson (V), 3,926.50 votes.

2010s

2017

Results of the 2017 parliamentary election held on 28 October 2017:^{[21][22][23][24]}

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	8,145	22.80%	2	0	2
	Left-Green Movement	V	6,750	18.90%	2	0	2
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	4,661	13.05%	1	0	1
	Pirate Party	P	4,076	11.41%	1	1	2
	Viðreisn	C	3,043	8.52%	1	0	1
	People's Party	F	2,914	8.16%	1	0	1
	Progressive Party	B	2,897	8.11%	1	0	1
	Centre Party	M	2,701	7.56%	0	1	1
	Bright Future	A	449	1.26%	0	0	0
	People's Front of Iceland	R	85	0.24%	0	0	0
Valid votes			35,721	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			769	2.10%
Rejected votes – other			108	0.30%
Total polled			36,598	80.29%
Registered electors			45,584

The following candidates were elected:^[24]

• Constituency seats - Ágúst Ólafur Ágústsson (S), 4,634.00 votes; Brynjar Níelsson (D), 5,884.75 votes; Hanna Katrín Friðriksson (C), 3,035.67 votes; Inga Sæland (F), 2,912.00 votes; Kolbeinn Óttarsson Proppé (V), 5,056.25 votes; Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir (B), 2,894.33 votes; Sigríður Á. Andersen (D), 7,952.50 votes; Svandís Svavarsdóttir (V), 6,680.75 votes; and Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (P), 4,049.25 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Björn Leví Gunnarsson (P), 3,050.75 votes; and Þorsteinn B. Sæmundsson (M), 2,695.33 votes.

2016

Results of the 2016 parliamentary election held on 29 October 2016:^{[25][26][27][28]}

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	8,930	25.60%	3	0	3
	Left-Green Movement	V	6,149	17.63%	2	0	2
	Pirate Party	P	6,030	17.29%	2	0	2
	Viðreisn	C	4,440	12.73%	1	1	2
	Progressive Party	B	2,564	7.35%	1	0	1
	Bright Future	A	2,518	7.22%	0	1	1
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	1,945	5.58%	0	0	0
	People's Party	F	1,614	4.63%	0	0	0
	Dawn	T	578	1.66%	0	0	0
	People's Front of Iceland	R	79	0.23%	0	0	0
	Humanist Party	H	33	0.09%	0	0	0
Valid votes			34,880	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			755	2.11%
Rejected votes – other			150	0.42%
Total polled			35,785	78.18%
Registered electors			45,770

The following candidates were elected:^[28]

• Constituency seats - Ásta Guðrún Helgadóttir (P), 5,975.25 votes; Brynjar Níelsson (D), 7,399.33 votes; Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson (P), 4,515.50 votes; Hanna Katrín Friðriksson (C), 4,405.25 votes; Kolbeinn Óttarsson Proppé (V), 4,613.00 votes; Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir (B), 2,555.00 votes; Ólöf Nordal (D), 8,823.00 votes; Sigríður Á. Andersen (D), 5,957.67 votes; and Svandís Svavarsdóttir (V), 6,080.75 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Nichole Leigh Mosty (A), 2,497.33 votes; and Pawel Bartoszek (C), 3,322.75 votes.

2013

Results of the 2013 parliamentary election held on 27 April 2013:^{[29][30][31][32]}

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	9,466	26.82%	3	0	3
	Progressive Party	B	5,931	16.80%	2	0	2
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	5,007	14.18%	2	0	2
	Left-Green Movement	V	4,279	12.12%	1	0	1
	Bright Future	A	3,790	10.74%	1	1	2
	Pirate Party	Þ	2,179	6.17%	0	1	1
	Households Party	I	1,394	3.95%	0	0	0
	Dawn	T	1,163	3.29%	0	0	0
	Iceland Democratic Party	L	1,025	2.90%	0	0	0
	Right-Green People's Party	G	575	1.63%	0	0	0
	Sturla Jónsson	K	222	0.63%	0	0	0
	Rainbow	J	161	0.46%	0	0	0
	Humanist Party	H	55	0.16%	0	0	0
	People's Front of Iceland	R	54	0.15%	0	0	0
Valid votes			35,301	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			794	2.19%
Rejected votes – other			133	0.37%
Total polled			36,228	80.17%
Registered electors			45,187

The following candidates were elected:^[32]

• Constituency seats - Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson (D), 5,957.7 votes; Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir (D), 9,305.8 votes; Helgi Hjörvar (S), 3,729.3 votes; Karl Garðarsson (B), 4,502.3 votes; Pétur Blöndal (D), 7,850.7 votes; Róbert Marshall (A), 3,698.8 votes; Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir (S), 4,943.0 votes; Svandís Svavarsdóttir (V), 4,225.0 votes; and Vigdís Hauksdóttir (B), 5,701.5 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Jón Þór Ólafsson (Þ), 2,093.3 votes; and Óttarr Proppé (A), 2,838.0 votes.

2000s

2009

Results of the 2009 parliamentary election held on 25 April 2009:^[33][34][35]

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	11,667	32.94%	3	1	4
	Independence Party	D	8,211	23.18%	2	1	3
	Left-Green Movement	V	8,106	22.88%	2	0	2
	Progressive Party	B	3,435	9.70%	1	0	1
	Citizens' Movement	O	3,076	8.68%	1	0	1
	Liberal Party	F	700	1.98%	0	0	0
	Democracy Movement	P	226	0.64%	0	0	0
Valid votes			35,421	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			1,388	3.76%
Rejected votes – other			117	0.32%
Total polled			36,926	84.41%
Registered electors			43,747

The following candidates were elected:^[35]

• Constituency seats - Birgitta Jónsdóttir (O), 3,017.7 votes; Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson (D), 6,269.2 votes; Lilja Mósesdóttir (V), 6,048.0 votes; Ólöf Nordal (D), 6,999.5 votes; Össur Skarphéðinsson (S), 10,363.1 votes; Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir (S), 10,310.2 votes; Skúli Helgason (S), 8,807.0 votes; Svandís Svavarsdóttir (V), 8,062.2 votes; and Vigdís Hauksdóttir (B), 3,390.7 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir (S), 7,136.6 votes; and Birgir Ármannsson (D), 5,489.3 votes.

2007

Results of the 2007 parliamentary election held on 12 May 2007:^[36][37][38]

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	13,846	39.23%	5	0	5
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	10,234	29.00%	3	0	3
	Left-Green Movement	V	5,065	14.35%	1	1	2
	Liberal Party	F	2,385	6.76%	0	1	1
	Progressive Party	B	2,081	5.90%	0	0	0
	Icelandic Movement – Living Country	I	1,680	4.76%	0	0	0
Valid votes			35,291	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			462	1.29%
Rejected votes – other			93	0.26%
Total polled			35,846	82.61%
Registered electors			43,391

The following candidates were elected:^[38]

• Constituency seats - Ágúst Ólafur Ágústsson (S), 8,522.7 votes; Ásta Möller (D), 9,865.7 votes; Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir (S), 6,826.5 votes; Birgir Ármannsson (D), 8,551.3 votes; Björn Bjarnason (D), 10,187.1 votes; Geir Haarde (D), 13,822.4 votes; Illugi Gunnarsson (D), 11,310.3 votes; Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir (S), 10,090.2 votes; and Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir (V), 4,941.5 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Álfheiður Ingadóttir (V), 3,802.5 votes; and Jón Magnússon (F), 2,341.3 votes.

2003

Results of the 2003 parliamentary election held on 10 May 2003:^[39][40][41]

Party			Votes	%	Seats
					Con.	Com.	Tot.
	Independence Party	D	14,029	38.03%	4	1	5
	Social Democratic Alliance	S	12,286	33.30%	3	1	4
	Progressive Party	B	4,185	11.34%	1	0	1
	Left-Green Movement	U	3,438	9.32%	1	0	1
	Liberal Party	F	2,448	6.64%	0	0	0
	New Force	N	504	1.37%	0	0	0
Valid votes			36,890	100.00%	9	2	11
Blank votes			379	1.02%
Rejected votes – other			58	0.16%
Total polled			37,327	87.29%
Registered electors			42,761

The following candidates were elected:^[41]

• Constituency seats - Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir (S), 10,714.8 votes; Geir Haarde (D), 13,999.1 votes; Guðmundur Hallvarðsson (D), 9,839.0 votes; Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (S), 12,199.1 votes; Jónína Bjartmarz (B), 4,150.7 votes; Mörður Árnason (S), 9,093.1 votes; Ögmundur Jónasson (U), 3,420.3 votes; Pétur Blöndal (D), 12,459.1 votes; and Sólveig Pétursdóttir (D), 10,816.3 votes.
• Compensatory seats - Ágúst Ólafur Ágústsson (S), 7,705.1 votes; and Birgir Ármannsson (D), 8,458.3 votes.

Notes

1. Excludes compensatory seats.