General elections in Sweden
Sweden holds general elections every four years. The elections are always held on the third Sunday in September. At each election, voters vote in three elections at the same time: for the Riksdag, for the regional council and for the municipal council.
Three elections in one day
- The Riksdag election: elects 349 members to the Riksdag (national level)
- The regional election: elects members to the regional council (regional level, 21 regions)
- The municipal election: elects members to the municipal council (local level, 290 municipalities)
- European Parliament elections: held separately every five years (not simultaneously with the three above)
Who can vote?
The right to vote in Sweden varies depending on which election applies. It is important to know the differences.
- The Riksdag election: you must be 18 years old AND a Swedish citizen
- Municipal and regional elections: you must be 18 years old AND registered in the municipality/region for at least 30 days
- EU citizens: can vote in municipal and regional elections (not the Riksdag election) if they are registered in Sweden
- Foreign citizens from countries outside the EU: can vote in municipal and regional elections if they have lived legally in Sweden for at least 3 years
Early voting and election secrecy
You don't have to wait until election day - early voting is possible from 18 days before the election. You can vote early at polling stations around the country, including at libraries and shopping centres. All elections in Sweden are secret - no one can see how you vote.
Proportional elections and the four percent barrier
Sweden uses a proportional electoral system. This means that the parties' share of seats in the Riksdag roughly corresponds to the share of votes they received. If a party gets 30 percent of the vote, they get roughly 30 percent of the seats.
For a party to enter the Riksdag, it must receive at least 4 percent of the total votes in the entire country. This limit is called the Riksdag barrier or the four percent barrier. It exists to prevent the Riksdag from being fragmented with too many small parties.
Personal vote and ballots
The voter votes for a party and places a party ticket in the envelope. You can also enter a candidate on the ballot - this is called a personal vote. If a candidate receives enough personal votes, they can climb up the party's list and gain a place in the Riksdag.
The eight parties in the Riksdag
After the 2022 election, eight parties will sit in the Riksdag. They represent a wide political spectrum from left to right.
- The Social Democrats (S) – the country's historically dominant party, centre-left
- The Moderates (M) – bourgeois centre-right party
- Sweden Democrats (SD) – nationalist right-wing party
- The Center Party (C) – liberal, rural development-oriented party
- The Left Party (V) – left-wing party, socialist
- The Christian Democrats (KD) – conservative party with Christian values
- The Liberals (L) – liberal party with a focus on education and the rule of law
- The Green Party (MP) – green party with a focus on the environment and climate
The work of the Riksdag – 15 committees
The Riksdag's work is divided into 15 specialist committees. Each committee handles a certain policy area and prepares the matters that the Riksdag must decide on. The composition of the committees reflects the balance of power in the Riksdag.
- The Constitution Committee (KU): examines the government's work, interprets the constitution
- The finance committee: prepares the budget and financial matters
- The Justice Committee: laws on crime, punishment and the judiciary
- The Social Committee: healthcare, social services, pensions
- The education committee: school, research, culture
- ...and ten additional committees for different policy areas
Referendums
The Riksdag can decide on referendums on important issues. Sweden has had a few referenda at national level.
- 1994: Referendum on EU membership - 52.3% voted yes
- 1994: Referendum on NATO - Sweden voted no (remained outside NATO)
- 2003: Referendum on the euro - 56% voted no, Sweden kept the krona