Greenland's election: Why does it matter and how does it work?

A voter casts her ballot in Nuuk while her baby waits near by

Never has there been so much international interest in Greenland and its election, after President Donald Trump said he wanted to make the semi-autonomous Danish territory part of the US.

More than 40,000 Greenlanders out of a population of 57,000 are eligible to vote to elect 31 MPs, as well as the country's government.

Six parties are on the ballot. Five favour Greenland's independence from Denmark, differing only on how quickly that should come about.

The current prime minister, Mute B Egede, has made clear that Greenland is not for sale and deserves to be "treated with respect".

His party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) is projected to come out top with 31% of the vote, followed by the social democrat Simiut.

How does voting work?

There are 72 polling stations scattered around Greenland's coast and voting continues until 20:00 (22:00 GMT), with results expected early on Wednesday.

The sheer size of Greenland and the remoteness of many of its settlements and small towns means delivering ballots on time can be a challenge.

No two towns are connected by road or rail, and the island is exposed to extreme Arctic weather.

Back in 2018, the 55 residents of Savissivik in northern Greenland never received their ballots due to inclement weather, according to Danish reports. So an Air Greenland base manager on his 4x4 and a local hunter on dog sled joined forces to deliver the ballots on time.

Planes, helicopters, ships, speedboats, cars, snowmobiles and dog sleds are routinely employed to ensure ballots reach all corners of the country before the election.

When the polls close, stations send their results in by email to Greenland's five municipalities to be added to the tally.

At the last parliamentary election in Greenland in 2021, the voter turnout was 65.9%.

Why is everybody talking about independence?

The state of the healthcare system, social issues, fisheries and the economy have all been discussed over the course of the electoral campaign.

But it is the question of Greenland's independence from Denmark which has dominated the debate.

Although it now semi-autonomous, Greenland has been controlled by Denmark – nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away – for about 300 years.

Naleraq - currently the largest opposition party - has gained momentum and promises to hold a snap vote on independence within three to four years.

Other parties are more careful and have avoided giving exact timelines.

Severing ties with Denmark would be a big blow to Greenland's economy, which depends on the fisheries sector. Danish subsidies currently contribute more than $565m (£435m) a year - a fifth of its total economic output or GDP.

"At the moment, [Greenland] is not ready for independence," the director of the Bank of Greenland Martin Kviesgaard told Danish media on the eve of the election. "It will take many years to become completely ready for it, if you are talking about becoming financially self-sufficient... Fishing is not enough."

Past colonial wrongdoings have meant that Denmark has largely kept out of the independence debate.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly said it is for Greenlanders to decide their future.

How has Trump influenced the debate?

The US president first floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, towards the end of his first term in office.

However, since the start of this year, he has expressed interest in acquiring the Arctic island with increasing frequency, to the alarm of many in Greenland as well as Denmark.

In January, Trump's son Donald Jr. visited Greenland on what he said was a "personal day-trip" but which sparked real nervousness that the Trumps' interest was not just fleeting.

Greenland lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it strategically important for the US.

It also has a large American space facility and reserves of valuable minerals which have so far proved hard to exploit.

• Inside the race for Greenland's mineral wealth

Last week, Trump told the US Congress "we're going to get [Greenland] - one way or the other".

The president's shadow has therefore loomed large over this election.

At the final candidates' debate on Sunday night, five out of six party leaders said they did not believe the US president could be trusted.

If Greenland does eventually choose independence from Denmark, it would then have the freedom to pursue closer ties and become far more exposed to US interest.

So it is unsurprising that in January Donald Trump reposted a 2019 poll that indicated 68% of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark.

Trump's comments on Greenland caused barely concealed panic in Copenhagen earlier this year.

Mette Frederiksen spent much of January holding crisis talks with her government as well as other Scandinavian and European leaders. She also spoke to Trump on the phone on more than one occasion.

The frantic diplomacy has cooled in recent weeks as Ukraine and other global issues took centre stage in Washington.

But as Greenlanders voted on Tuesday, Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen made an oblique reference to President Trump, saying that "major powers have a different interest in Greenland than they have had before".

Of course it was important, he added diplomatically, "that Greenland elects some steadfast politicians to lead the country through it".