The 80% challenge

Denmark is the country we have chosen to call home. And as homeowners, it is our duty and pleasure to integrate.

We believe that the best way to show our love for Denmark is to participate in its heart: Democracy.

That is why we are setting a bold, medium-term goal for the 2029 Local and Regional Elections:

80% voter turnout for non-Danish citizens

• Think Global, Act Local

  Danish local democracy is a beautiful, rough and challenging thing. Many of us already have the right to vote locally, and using that vote is the ultimate act of medborgerskab.

  When we vote we are saying, "I care about this community, this city, and our shared future".

  We need to aim at getting involved to bring people to the ballot. That’s our core mission towards integration.

  We need to bring so many people to vote it becomes a national and continental news: Voters turnout spikes as internationals discover their democratic right of participation

  This is the title we need to read on the news when we wake up after election day.

• Be Political

  Democracy is not passive. It’s action, it’s challenge and it’s risk.
  
  Most importantly, it is a conversation that never stops. We must be part of the rooms where decisions are made. Whether you are a newcomer or have been here for decades, your perspective is an asset to the Danish political landscape.

  Our Voice provides the tools and the network to help you step into the arena.
  
  Here is how you can "Be Political":

  1. Join an Existing Political Party

  Most Danish political parties are built on local branches (lokalforeninger) that welcome new members with open arms. Joining a party is the fastest way to understand the system and influence a party’s platform from the inside.

  What we do: We help you navigate the different party ideologies in Denmark and find your local chapter. You don’t need a passport to join a party, just a passion for your community.

  2. Engage with Candidates & Journalists

  Politicians and the media need to hear our stories to understand the reality of living in Denmark as an international. A well-placed letter or a coffee with a local candidate can change a policy.

  What we do: Use our "Letter to the Candidate" templates and our "Media Pitch Kit" to reach out to journalists. We help you frame your personal story as a powerful argument for change (the kits are in the making as you read this).

  3. Form an Independent International List

  You can always run as an independent or even form a local "International List". This is a powerful way to put international issues directly on the ballot.

  What we do: We offer workshops on how to navigate the legal requirements of forming a local list and how to build a campaign that resonates with both internationals and Danes alike.

  4. Become a Democracy Ambassador

  Help your colleagues, friends, and neighbors navigate the Danish democratic system. By sharing knowledge, you are strengthening the very foundation of our society.

  What we do: We provide digital toolkits and "Talking Points" to help you lead constructive, positive conversations about participation and representation in your workplace or social circles.

• Talking Points

  Our Voice is moving internationals from being excluded from the public discourse to be visible and vocal. This visibility is a double-edged sword. To succeed where previous generations have stalled, we must build a specific kind of political culture. We cannot afford to be "angry immigrants", we must be "Proactive Citizens."
  
  

  1. Radical Positivity

  In political discourse, anger is often used as a reason to dismiss a movement. If we lead with grievance, our battle becomes a fortress. We need to enrich the political discourse, not defend our position and castling.
  
  Instead, our tone must be Radically Positive. We aren't demanding rights because we are unhappy. We are offering our full participation because we love this society and this country and want it to reach its full potential.

  A positive tone makes it safe for Danes to support our battles. It turns the conversation from a conflict of interests into a shared project for a stronger Denmark.
  
  
  2. Resilience to the Guest narrative

  When you speak up, you will inevitably encounter the "Go Home" or "Be Grateful" critique. This is the classic defense mechanism of a society that still views internationals through the lens of temporary guests rather than permanent shareholders.

  Resilience is a mindset, and it means understanding that criticism is often a sign that you are successfully challenging a status quo.

  Do not take it personally, ever. When you feel triggered, stop engaging (if you are online) and don’t fall in the anger trap. When a critic says, "If you don't like it, leave," they are not talking to you. They are not welcoming a needed conversation, and that’s where you should pull away, if you cannot handle negative sentiment. Like in any other conflict, it’s either fight or flight. Both, always, with Radical Positivity.
  
  
  

  3. Counter-Arguments

  To create a mature and useful debate, we must validate, understand and anticipate the classic arguments used against the integration of international voices:

  You haven't been here long enough / You aren't Danish enough

  Democracy is a contract, not a bloodline. I have fulfilled my part of the contract through labor, language, and law-abiding citizenship for X years. A contract that only works one way is not a democracy, it’s more like a subscription service.

  
  If we give you the vote, you will change our culture

  Our presence has already changed the culture: it has made the Danish economy more competitive, the universities more global, and the food more diverse. Giving us a vote doesn't change the culture, it protects the culture by ensuring the people who keep the country running feel a sense of responsibility for its future.
  
  
  You already have rights/benefits, why do you need to vote?

  Taxation without representation is the opposite of the Danish 'Folkestyre' (People’s Rule). If I am responsible for 100% of the duties of a citizen, paying for the welfare state and following the law, but have no voice, the system is fundamentally unbalanced. We are here to help balance it.
  

  
  If you want to vote, just get the passport. It’s that simple.

  If the path were a simple administrative step, we would take it. But when the waiting room for citizenship stretches to 10, 15, or even 17 years, due to shifting political requirements and administrative pauses, the system is asking us to live half a lifetime in a democratic vacuum. We are stating that Permanent Residency should carry permanent representation.
  
  You don't ask a homeowner to wait 15 years before they can vote on the building's maintenance: together with Danes, we are stakeholders in our house now.

  
  Why should you decide on Danish laws if you might leave one day?

  This argument assumes that 'permanence' is only defined by a passport, but our lives prove otherwise. We have bought homes, started companies, and are raising children who speak Danish as their first language. Even if a professional moves after a decade, the decisions made during those 10 years affect the taxes they paid and the community they built. Democracy is about representing the people living in the society today, not just those who promise to never leave.

  
  International residents don't understand the Danish Way well enough to vote.

  Living as an international in Denmark requires a high education in the Danish Way. We navigate the bureaucracy, the labor market, and the school systems with a heightened level of awareness because we’ve had to learn them from scratch. By the time we reach Permanent Residency, we know the system and we sustain it. Our outside perspective isn't a threat to the 'Danish Way', but more like a mirror that helps the system see its own blind spots and stay competitive.

  
  We need to protect the Folkestyre (People's Rule) for Danes only.

  he heart of Folkestyre is the idea that those who are governed should have a say in how they are governed. Today, roughly 10% of the adult population in Denmark is excluded from this rule. When a significant portion of the workforce and the taxpayer base is silenced, the Folkestyre isn't being protected. We are working towards making sure it actually includes the people who make Denmark run, all of them.

The 80% Challenge

The goal is clear: 80% participation. In most elections, the international vote is treated as a footnote, a fragmented group of people who are either ineligible or uninspired. We are here to flip that script. We want to bring 80% of eligible non-Danish citizens to the ballot box, turning a silent minority into a decisive democratic force.

We are the Engine

To get to 80%, we don't need a central office, we need you. We need everyone of us to act as the catalysts in their own circles.

• If you have the right to vote in local or European elections, use it with the pride of a shareholder.

• If you are still waiting for that right, use your voice to ensure those who can vote understand the weight of their choice.
  

We are moving beyond the waiting room. We are building a laboratory for a modern, inclusive Danish democracy where contribution equals representation.

Don’t wait for the goalposts to stop moving. Join the pack, take the 80% Challenge, and let’s build a new, thriving political culture for Denmark.

Let’s be heard, one vote at the time.