2009 Danish local elections

Local elections were held in Denmark on 17 November 2009. Councils were elected in Denmark's 98 [List of List of municipalities of Denmark|municipalities of Denmark|municipalities] and the five regions. 2468 seats were contested in the municipal elections. 205 seats were contested in the regional elections.

Legal basis

The electoral details are laid down in the municipal and regional electoral act. The elections are overseen by the Ministry of the Interior.

Results

Results of regional elections

The Ministry of the Interior reported a voter turnout of 65.7%, the lowest participation in Danish local and regional elections since the 1974 Danish local elections, when turnout was 62.9%. The regions are not municipalities and have no independent power to levy taxes; they are financed instead through block grants from the central government and from the municipalities within each region.
The results of the regional elections were as follows:

Results of municipal elections

The Ministry of the Interior stated that voter turnout was 65.8%.
The results of the municipal elections:

Mayors in the municipalities

The mayors of the 98 municipalities heads the council meetings and is the chairman of the finance committee in each of their respective municipalities. Only in Copenhagen, this mayor – the head of the finance committee and council meetings – is called the lord mayor.

Old and new mayors in the municipalities

The term of office for the mayors elected by the majority of councillors among its members in each municipal council is the same as for the councils elected. The correct name for the municipality on the somewhat remote island of Bornholm is regional municipality, because the municipality also handles several tasks not carried out by the other Danish municipalities but by the regions.