NUUK, Greenland (AP) 鈥� The polling station in Greenland鈥檚 capital closed Tuesday in a parliamentary election that will determine the leaders who will confront U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 effort to of the strategically placed Arctic country.
Huge crowds streamed into the polling station in the capital, Nuuk, throughout the day, warmed by sunny skies. Exhausted voting officials closed the polls well after the planned 8 p.m. local time (2200 GMT) to make sure everyone in line got a chance to cast their ballot.
Unofficial election results should be available in the coming hours, but they won鈥檛 be certified for weeks as paper ballots make their way to the capital from remote settlements by boat, plane and helicopter.
Prime Minister in February called elections a bit early, saying the country needed to be united during a 鈥渟erious time鈥� that is unlike anything Greenland has ever experienced.
Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark, straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic and has rich deposits of the needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology.
Trump has been outspoken about his desire to control Greenland, telling a joint session of Congress last week that he thought the U.S. was going to get it 鈥渙ne way or the other.鈥�
While the island of 56,000 people has been on a since at least 2009, a break from Denmark isn鈥檛 on the ballot 鈥� even though it鈥檚 on everyone鈥檚 mind. Voters will instead elect 31 lawmakers who will shape the island鈥檚 future at a defining moment in history: Should Greenland declare independence?
Polls indicate support for independence
The mood was festive Tuesday at the sole polling station in 鈥檚 capital city, Nuuk, as election workers opened the doors to cheers at 1100 GMT.
Opinion polls show most Greenlanders . Most say they don鈥檛 dislike Americans, pointing to the good relations they have with the local Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Force Base, where U.S. military personnel have been stationed since 1951.
But Greenlanders show no sign of wanting to become Americans. Even some of Trump鈥檚 biggest fans cling to the principle that they should control their destiny: their mantra is that Greenland is open for business, but .
鈥淭he situation has changed because of Trump and because of the world,鈥� said Doris Jensen, representative of the social democratic Siumut party who said she has always favored independence. 鈥淪o we have decided in our party that we have to do (it) more quickly.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 attention has transformed the deeply local process of democracy. Suddenly, the presence of journalists from as far away as Japan and Croatia are reminders that these are far from normal times.
Voter Sofia Rossen had a message for Trump: 鈥淪top talking about Greenland. Stop," she said in the polling station in Nuuk.
The island and the U.S. previously had a positive relationship, but that doesn't mean they want to be part of the United States, she told The Associated Press. Greenland鈥檚 future must be decided by its people, she said.
鈥淚t is us, we are living here and we know what to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are not for sale. We are not American, we won鈥檛 be Americans. We are not (Danes), but we are part of the Danish community.鈥�
鈥淚 think most of us have been scared since the new year because of (Trump鈥檚) interest,鈥� Pipaluk Lynge, a member of parliament from the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit, or United Inuit party, told The Associated Press. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e really, really looking to Europe right now to see if we could establish a stronger bond with them to secure our sovereign nation.鈥�
After one of the final televised debates at a school auditorium in Nuuk, Prime Minister Egede was greeted by about 75 supporters who were almost outnumbered by photographers and cameramen.
鈥淎ll these reporters are frightening to us,鈥欌�� said Aviaja Sinkbaek, who works at the school. 鈥淚t means that something must be happening soon.鈥�
She added: 鈥淚 wonder what Trump has up his sleeve.鈥�
A vast island draws outsize attention
Politics in Greenland have a different rhythm. Debates during campaigning rarely got heated. People who became too animated were asked to step outside. Issues included building a skilled workforce and how to decorate the new airport, which in November opened a runway long enough to handle jumbo jets.
On Tuesday, political parties pitched tents outside the polling station at the Nuuk sports hall, offering hot drinks and Greenlandic cake 鈥� a raisin-laced bread served with butter 鈥� in hopes of swaying voters.
Certifying results will take weeks as ballot papers make their way to Nuuk. That鈥檚 because there are no roads connecting communities across the island鈥檚 2.16 million square kilometers (836,330 square miles).
Now the vast size has drawn outsize attention.
Greenlanders know what they have. They hope the rare earth minerals will help diversify an economy where government jobs account for 40% of employment.
But the government has imposed strict rules to protect the environment on the island, most of which is covered by ice year-round. The harsh atmospheric conditions raise questions about whether mineral extraction is commercially feasible.
SUVs caused a traffic jam on the main road to the hall. Elderly people with canes tromped up the icy roads.
A lot was at stake. And so the people came.
Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
