ICELAND

V4 Polling Booth

THE CHALLENGE

In October 2024, the country of Iceland called a snap Parliamentary Election, with the Prime Minister taking the decision to dissolve their coalition Government. As political pundits speculated as to the future direction of the nation, the Pakflatt team happened to be on a flight to the capital, Reykjavík, to meet the electoral commission.

The commission had kindly reached out to us to enquire about the accessible election products we supply. Without hesitation, we accepted their offer to host us in Reykjavík and provide a demonstration of our product line. A few days before the trip, the Parliamentary election was announced, and the meeting would ultimately take on much more significance.

Upon arriving in Reykjavík, the Pakflatt team were delighted to learn that we would be presenting to a large audience of officials from multiple provinces in Iceland. The primary focus was our patented V4® Polling Booth. This booth offers 4 compartments for simultaneous voting and takes up a very small footprint. It can also be folded for improved portability and storage.

Conducting business in a new market can present unforeseen challenges, with unique legislation and social considerations. For example, Iceland’s population ranks among the world’s tallest countries. An important factor in Icelandic elections, is that the polling booth compartment must be completely private, with no visual contact point between citizens while they are casting their vote.

At Pakflatt, we specialise in problem-solving and creating innovation solutions. With the addition of our modular Curtain System and Visor Extension Panels, which improves privacy between voters, we were able to offer a comprehensive solution to the issue.

The next challenge; with the election just weeks away, we were tasked with providing a significant number of V4® Polling Booths for the city of Reykjavík, that would be distributed to polling stations throughout the city.

THE SOLUTION

With 2024 being one of the busiest election years in history, the turnaround time was a big challenge that we were faced with. With much satisfaction, the order was delivered in time to each district of Reykjavík and made available for polling day.
The Pakflatt team made the decision to visit the country once again on election day, to offer support to polling staff using their new equipment. Despite freezing temperatures and a minor volcanic eruption, we were delighted with the feedback that the election was conducted with zero concerns.
Overall, the experience of all parties involved was overwhelmingly positive. The nuances of working with a new electoral commission is a learning process, but as a company, Pakflatt embraces this on a daily basis, and we work tirelessly to ensure our customers are well informed and supported.
We look forward to cultivating a positive and collaborative relationship with the Electoral Commission of Iceland as we move forward. In particular, we are grateful to our new colleague, Hildur Lilliendahl Viggósdóttir, the Project Manager for Elections in Reykjavík, for the gracious invitation and enthusiasm for this project.