Elections in Sweden

The Swedish word for elections is val. Sweden holds elections for the Riksdag, for regional councils, and for municipal councils. These elections normally take place every four years, while elections to the European Parliament normally take place every five years. The Riksdag is Sweden’s national parliament. Swedish citizens who are at least 18 on election day can vote in the Riksdag election if they meet the electoral register rules. Different eligibility rules apply to some regional, municipal, and European elections. Sweden uses proportional representation. This means that parties receive seats broadly in proportion to the votes they receive, rather than one party taking all seats in each area. Voters usually choose a party by putting a party ballot paper in the envelope. They may also mark one candidate on the ballot to express a personal preference, within the rules for that election. A national Riksdag election uses electoral constituencies and adjustment seats. A party normally needs at least four percent of the national vote to receive Riksdag seats, although a special constituency rule can also matter. The election administration is known as the Valmyndigheten together with local election authorities. Voters receive information such as a röstkort, and they can vote at their assigned vallokal or use förtidsröstning at an approved early-voting place. Voting is secret. Ballot papers are handled so that nobody should be able to see which person or party an individual voter selected. Election workers count the votes, and results are checked before seats are assigned. After a Riksdag election, the Speaker works with the parties to propose a Prime Minister. The Riksdag then considers the proposal, and the Government is formed according to the support and opposition present in the Riksdag.