Most political parties in Horsens, Denmark have agreed not to display election posters for the municipal election. Instead, voters will find a shared brochure in their mailboxes featuring candidate presentations.
The Danish People's Party and Denmark Democrats chose not to join this agreement. Their candidates do not appear in the brochure.
Michael Nedersøe, the Danish People's Party's lead candidate, claims the brochure misleads voters. He says it looks too much like an official ballot paper.
Several citizens have contacted me wondering if our party is even running, he said. They cannot find us on the list.
Political science professor Kasper Møller Hansen from Copenhagen University shares the concern. As an election researcher, I worry it gives the impression this shows all candidates, which it does not, he stated.
Hansen sees no legal issues with the brochure but finds it problematic. It mimics the ballot paper we see in polling stations, he explained. That is the challenge. It might confuse some voters and end up in ballot boxes on election day.
The brochure's backers include the Social Democrats. Horsens mayor Peter Sørensen from that party says the difference is clear. We made an election brochure that differs significantly from a ballot paper, he asserted. I believe we are staying within appropriate boundaries.
He points to party names and logos displayed prominently on the brochure's back.
The Conservative Party also supports the brochure. Their lead candidate Anders Krojgaard Lund emphasizes there are no checkboxes like on real ballots. If you turn it over, it states this is political advertising sponsored by participating parties, he noted.
We have never delivered ballot papers to mailboxes in Denmark. You receive an election card and exchange it for a ballot at your polling station.
Lund claims the Danish People's Party received an invitation to join the brochure. Nedersøe denies this. He acknowledges his party declined the poster ban agreement and knew about the shared brochure plan.
But I was not informed they would create what looks like a shared ballot paper, he countered. I only learned about this after confused citizens contacted me.
The dispute highlights how election materials can influence voter perception even before polling day. With multiple parties defending the brochure's design and one major party objecting, voters face competing claims about what constitutes fair campaign information.
Municipal elections in Denmark typically see high voter turnout, making clear communication essential for democratic participation.