Breheimian Local Elections, 2014

2014 Local Elections, Breheim
Previous election ← 2010			→ Next election 2018
574 kommuner, 26 fylker.
28th of June, 2014
	First Party File:SWP.png	Second Party File:Vdl.png	Third Party File:ARSB.jpg
Leader	Frederik Owusu	Vilde Gunnhildsdottir	Stein Fredriksen
Party	Socialist	Liberal	Radical Socialist
Kommuner contested	574	504	512
Fylker contested	26	26	26
Votes (%)	31.3%	19.4%	16.7%
	Fourth PartyFile:Patrioter.png	Fifth PartyFile:UPPflag.png	Sixth PartyFile:Brp.png
Leader	Ulf Sjøfarer	Arne Torsen	Geir Nilsen
Party	Patriot	Conservative	Republican
Kommuner contested	312	162	362
Fylker contested	26	17	26

Local elections throughout all of Breheim's Kommuner are scheduled for the 28th of June, with elections for the Fylker as well as the Parliament of Ragnarsøy scheduled at the same time. A total of 9,003 seats in the kommune councils across 574 kommuner, 1,212 seats for the 26 fylker and 86 seats for the Parliament of Ragnarsøy are being contested. This will be the first election for the Parliament of Ragnarsøy held in Breheim, as it was decided that it should be formed only in 2013.

Overview

The 2014 local elections are the first held after the constitutional reforms of 2013 which granted vastly expanded authority to local government. Local elections in Breheim have traditionally been more fiercely contested by minor parties than major parties, with the SWP only holding majorities in a third of kommuner even in the periods where they held absolute majorities nationally. With more power being granted to local governance, the 2014 elections might be the most hotly contested local elections in Breheimian history.

The economy remains the most important issue for the elections, particularly how local governments are to solve many of the new challenges the new economic situation and extended powers given them. How to tackle the problems of unemployment, homelessness and investment are core focuses of all major parties. Fylker, having been given the authority to establish state-run enterprises independently of the national governments, have become a key arena in the ongoing debate in Breheim over whether private or public investment should be the bulwark of the modern Breheimian economy. Other important issues for the 2014 local elections include environmental protection, police and healthcare funding, religious matters (as funding towards non-profit religious groups have now been left to the discretion of the fylker) and taxation.

Parties

A total of 102 distinct political parties, not counting independents, formally entered the elections before the deadline (the the 15th of February). In addition, two unregistered political parties (the Independent Democratic Party and the Popular Liberation Front) managed to enter independents in some kommuner. Only one party, the SWP contests all kommuner, including those in Ragnarsøy. Five parties (the SWP, EADL, ARSB, PB and RPB) contests all twenty-six fylker.

Opinion Polls

Date conducted	Polling organisation/client	Sample size	SWP	EADL	ARSF	PB	UPP	RPB	SPCS	FPB	Others
1st of June	DEMO/Breheim Today	1,528	23%	18%	16%	11%	6%	8%	6%	4%	8%
30th of May	SU/Sons of Labour	1,985	19%	20%	18%	8%	5%	8%	5%	3%	6%
30th of May	DEMO/BBC	2,502	20%	16%	15%	13%	7%	6%	4%	6%	13%
27th of May	FS/Breheim Today	2,092	22%	21%	13%	9%	4%	6%	5%	6%	14%
26th of May	DEMO/Labour Times	1,486	25%	18%	17%	7%	3%	7%	5%	5%	13%

Ragnarsøy Election

In addition to elections for the 5 kommuner of Ragnarsøy, the upcoming election will also the be the first election for the Parliament of Ragnarsøy, which will act as the legislature of the Autonomous State of Ragnarsøy. Only two national parties contest the election, the SWP and the EADL. Six other parties are contesting the Ragnarsøy parliamentary election, those being the Independence Party of Ragnarsøy, the Socialist Party of Ragnarsøy, the Marijuana, Kasatschok and Techno Party, the Conservative Party of Ragnarsøy, the Petrova Party and the Party for Ragnar-Anton Ivanovich Ivansen Nikitavich Nikitasen Khruschev Trymsdal.

Opinion Polling

Date conducted	Polling organisation/client	Sample size	IRP	SPR	CPR	MKTP	SWP	EADL	PP	PRAIINNKT
28th of May	DEMO/Ragnarsøy Daily	512	28%	25%	20%	12%	5%	3%	5%	2%

Storvik

The election in both the fylke and kommune of Storvik, the largest city in Breheim (housing nearly a fifth of the total population) is the most contested in all of Breheim. The Fylke of Storvik is contested by a total of 29 parties, by far the highest of any fylke. The Fylkesthing of Storvik is also by far the largest with 103 members, meaning a party only requires 0.97% of the vote to gain a single representative.

Opinion Polls

Date conducted	Polling organisation/client	Sample size	SWP	PB	EADL	RPB	ARSF	LPB	FPB	Others
31st of May	DEMO/Storvik Evening Mail	1,049	32%	20%	10%	11%	6%	4%	5%	12%
26th of May	DEMO/Breheim Today	1,194	35%	17%	8%	10%	4%	5%	3%	18%
20th of May	SU/Labour Times	1,950	33%	19%	10%	7%	5%	6%	4%	16%

Alfby

Alfby, the most prosperous city in Breheim and the largest city with a majority Alfartruar community, is also a hotly contested fylke. As the seat of both the Breheimian Stock Exchange and the National Bank, Alfby is the financial capital of the Republic, and results of the election in Alfby is closely watched by financial interests within the country. Alfby has been a bastion of Breheim's right-wing since the late 70s, with only a short SWP-led minority leading the fylke between 1994-1998 as its most left-wing local government in the modern era.

Opinion Polls

Date conducted	Polling organisation/client	Sample size	EADL	SWP	AC	RPB	FPB	ARSF	PB	UAP	Others
30th of May	AU/The Alfheimer	674	30%	18%	13%	6%	9%	5%	5%	6%	8%
22nd of May	DEMO/Breheim Today	552	35%	15%	14%	5%	7%	6%	4%	5%	9%
16th of May	AU/The Economy Mail	721	32%	17%	13%	5%	11%	8%	5%	3%	6%