The only polling station in Greenland's capital is ready. Early parliamentary elections are being held on this large, sparsely populated Arctic island today, which are being closely watched. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to take control of the region, which occupies a strategic location in the North Atlantic and contains rare earth elements, key to the development of the global economy, BTA writes.
Trump's words are not included in the ballots, but they are on everyone's minds.
This self-governing region of Denmark is home to 56,000 people, most of whom are indigenous Inuit. It has been on the path to independence since at least 2009. Now Greenlanders are debating the best way to ensure they control their future.
"I think most of us have been scared since the new year because of (Trump's) interest," Pipaluk Linge, a member of parliament from the ruling "Inuit Atakatigiit", or United Inuit Party, told The Associated Press. "So right now we are really, really looking to Europe to see if we can forge a stronger relationship with them to protect our sovereign nation."
Opinion polls show that most Greenlanders support independence.
Most say they have no animosity toward the Americans, citing the good relations they have with the local space base "Pitufik", a former Thule air base where American military personnel have been stationed since 1951.
But Greenlanders show no sign of wanting to become Americans. Even some of Trump's biggest fans cling to the principle that they should control their own destiny. Among them is Gert Josefsen, a 53-year-old fisherman from Nuuk who wears a MAGA hat and boasts of having visited Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida home.
Their mantra is that Greenland is open for business, but not for sale.
"The situation has changed because of Trump and because of the world," said Doris Jensen, a representative of the social democratic party "Siumut", which said it has always supported independence: "That's why in our party we decided we had to do (this) faster."
Trump's attention has profoundly transformed the local democratic process. The sudden presence of journalists from as far away as Japan and Croatia is a reminder that these are far from normal times.
After the candidates' last televised debate in a school auditorium in Nuuk, Prime Minister Mute Burup Egede was greeted by about 75 supporters, who slightly outnumbered the photographers and cameramen.
"All these reporters are scaring us", says Avija Sinkbaek, who works at the school. "It means something has to happen soon".
She added: "I wonder what Trump has up his sleeve".
Politics in Greenland has a different rhythm. Election campaign debates rarely get heated. People who get too animated are asked to go outside. The issues included building a skilled workforce and how to decorate the new airport, which opened a runway long enough for jumbo jets in November.
On Tuesday, political parties will set up tents outside the capital's only polling station, located in Nuuk's sports hall, and campaigners will offer hot drinks and Greenlandic bread with raisins and butter, in the hope of attracting voters.
A bus will travel around the city of about 20,000 people, offering rides.
Unofficial election results are due to be announced soon after the polls close, but they won't be confirmed for weeks as ballots are flown to the capital from remote villages by boat, plane and helicopter.
That's because there are no roads connecting the 2.16-acre territory million square kilometers of the island, making Greenland the twelfth largest country in the world.
Now, its sheer size is drawing attention.
Greenlanders know what they have. They hope the rare minerals will help diversify an economy where government jobs account for 40 percent of employment.
But the government has imposed strict environmental regulations on the island, most of which is covered in ice year-round. The harsh weather conditions raise questions about whether mining them is commercially viable.
Hurricane-force winds over the weekend prompted warnings to tie down boats and building materials. As the wind roared like the roar of a jet engine, locals retreated to their homes to play board games.