The Norwegian Parliamentary Election Survey is unique both in its duration and its tradition of collecting high-quality data on Norwegian elections and voter behavior. A central strength of the project, first conducted in 1957, lies in the long time series of data and analyses that enable historical comparisons.
Purpose
The primary goal of the Parliamentary Election Surveys 2025 and 2029 is to ensure continuity in terms of data collection, analyses of key topics, and publication of findings. Furthermore, the surveys aim to update our models of voter behavior to modern times, consider trends observed in recent years, utilize new data, expand collaboration with other researchers nationally and internationally, and address new research questions.
Implementation
The project will have several core tasks essential for any national election survey. This includes data collection, main analyses of voter behavior, and the development of new models for such behavior. Dissemination of results will occur through a book publication, as well as broad participation in public discourse and media. The surveys further include five work packages (WP).
- WP1 – Election Campaigns will be responsible for the Norwegian national election campaign study, led by Rune Karlsen.
- WP2 – Media Studies focuses on the role of media in elections, including new information technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), led by Melanie Magin.
- WP3 – Voter Participation and Social Background examines social inequalities in voter participation, partly through experimental or quasi-experimental studies of political mobilization, led by Johannes Bergh.
- WP4 – Democratic Legitimacy and Political Trust aims to study how voters perceive and interact with political institutions in democracy, led by Atle H. Haugsgjerd.
- WP5 – Political Elites and Representation looks at the relationship between political elites (such as party members, politicians, representatives) and voters, led by Stine Hesstvedt.
Privacy Policy Guidance
This project utilizes personal data from individuals who are difficult to contact for the purpose of providing individual information. The data is processed for research purposes, and the legal basis for the processing is the public interest. The project involves the use of ordinary personal data and special categories of personal data, including data revealing political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membershipand health data. The data is obtained from the following sources: Statistics Norway (SSB), open web content and public/national registries. In collaborative research projects, datasets may also be shared with external project participants and their affiliated institutions. The project also engages a data processor who will process personal data on behalf of the project.
The legality and privacy implications of the personal data processing have been assessed prior to the commencement of the project, which adheres to ethical guidelines for research. The Institute for Social Research is the data controller for the project.
Individuals who can be identified in the dataset have rights and may lodge complaints regarding the processing. Please feel free to contact our Data Protection Officer, the project manager, or the Norwegian Institute for Social Research if you have any questions or require guidance.