1946 Faroese independence referendum

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1946 Faroese independence referendum
Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg
14 September 1946 (1946-09-14)
Do you want the Faroe Islands to separate from Denmark?
Outcome
  • Narrow majority (1.4%) for independence
  • Result declared invalid by Denmark
  • Devolution via Home Rule Act (1948)
Results
Choice
Votes%
Independence5,66050.72%
Union with Denmark5,49949.28%
Valid votes11,15995.87%
Invalid or blank votes4814.13%
Total votes11,640100.00%
Registered voters/turnout17,21667.61%

1946-09-14 Folkaatkvodan - 1946 Faroese independence referendum.svg
Results by island
  Union
  Independence

An independence referendum was held in the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, on 14 September 1946. Although a narrow majority of valid votes were cast in favour of the proposal (50.7%), the number of invalid votes exceeded the winning margin. Although independence was declared by the Speaker of the Løgting on 18 September 1946, the declaration was not recognised by Denmark. King Christian X of Denmark dissolved the Løgting and called fresh elections, which were won by unionist parties. The islands were subsequently given a greater level of self-rule.

Contents

Results

ChoiceVotes%
For5,66050.72
Against5,49949.28
Total11,159100.00
Valid votes11,15995.87
Invalid/blank votes4814.13
Total votes11,640100.00
Registered voters/turnout17,21667.61
Source: Direct Democracy

By island

IslandIndependenceContinued UnionInvalid/
blank
TotalRegistered
voters
Turnout
Votes%Votes%
Norðoyar 95670.639829.4641,4182,22063.9
Eysturoy 1,05243.31,37656.7992,5273,85465.6
Norðurstreymoy 62253.454346.6421,2071,67971.9
Vágar 61458.643441.4381,0861,48573.1
Suðurstreymoy 1,30866.067434.01452,1273,32364.0
Sandoy 46561.928638.1327831,05374.4
Suðuroy 64326.51,78873.5612,4923,60269.2
Total5,66050.75,49949.348111,64017,21667.6

Aftermath

The result – without taking the invalid votes into regard – was 50.7% in favour of full independence to 49.3% in favour of home rule within Denmark. [1]

The chairman of the Løgting subsequently declared independence on 18 September 1946, but this was not recognised either by a majority of the Løgting or the Danish parliament and government. King Christian X of Denmark dissolved the Løgting on 24 September and called for new elections. [2] The dissolution of the Løgting was on 8 November followed by the Faroese parliamentary election of 1946 in which the parties in favour of full independence received a total of 5,396 votes while the parties against received a total of 7,488 votes. [3] New negotiations followed, and Denmark granted the Faroe Islands home-rule on 30 March 1948.

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. Faroe Islands, 14 September 1946: Status Direct Democracy (in English and German)
  2. Steining 1953, p. 187.
  3. Steining 1953, p. 188.

Sources

  • Steining, Jørgen (1953). "Rigsdagen og Færøerne". In Bomholt, Jul.; Fabricius, Knud; Hjelholt, Holger; Mackeprang, M.; Møller Andr. (eds.). Den danske rigsdag 1849–1949 bind VI (in Danish). Copenhagen: J. H. Schultz Forlag.