Icelanders are going to the polls for the third time in four years.

The vote comes as the nation tries to shake off the latest political crisis on an island that has been roiled by divisions since its economy was ravaged by the global financial crisis in 2008.

Polls suggest there will not be an outright winner in Saturday's parliamentary election, triggering complex negotiations to build a coalition government.

A record eight parties could cross the 5% threshold needed to qualify for seats in the Icelandic parliament, the Althingi. Upstart parties are benefiting from a series of scandals affecting the ruling Independence Party.

Political analysts say the most likely outcome eventually is a coalition government led by Katrin Jakobsdottir of the Left Green Movement. The 41-year-old holds a graduate degree in Icelandic literature.

AP