Voters fill in their ballots in the Oslo City Hall in Oslo, capital of Norway, on Sept. 8, 2025. Norwegians headed to the polls on Monday to elect all 169 members of the Storting, the country's unicameral parliament, across 19 multi-member constituencies. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

OSLO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Norwegians headed to the polls on Monday to elect all 169 members of the Storting, the country's unicameral parliament, across 19 multi-member constituencies.

According to Statistics Norway, 4,912 registered candidates from 22 parties and lists are competing in the race. Most polling stations operate from 0900 to 2100 local time (0700 to 1900 GMT).

This year's key campaign debates focused on issues including inequality and taxation, energy policy, management of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, as well as housing and public services.

According to official guidance, voters who could not vote on election day were allowed to vote early from July 1 to Sept. 5. According to Statistics Norway, a record 4.05 million people were eligible to vote this year, and national tallies showed that around 1.9 million votes had already been cast in advance by Sept. 5.

Pre-election polling suggested a tight race, with the Labour Party, the right-wing Progress Party and the center-right Conservative Party projected to emerge as the three largest groups. Analysts said no single party was likely to secure an outright majority, making coalition building the probable path to government.

Norway holds parliamentary elections every four years. After the 2021 vote, Labour returned to power and formed a coalition government. However, earlier this year, the Centre Party quit the coalition over disagreements related to EU energy policy, leaving Labour to govern alone.

Official counting is set to begin after polls close, with results expected to be announced by the election authorities. ■

This photo taken on Sept. 8, 2025 shows the building of Storting, Norway's unicameral parliament in Oslo, capital of Norway. Norwegians headed to the polls on Monday to elect all 169 members of the Storting, the country's unicameral parliament, across 19 multi-member constituencies. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

People queue to vote outside the Oslo City Hall in Oslo, capital of Norway, on Sept. 8, 2025. Norwegians headed to the polls on Monday to elect all 169 members of the Storting, the country's unicameral parliament, across 19 multi-member constituencies. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)