How to Vote in Sweden

How to vote in the 2026 election

You can vote in several ways — you choose what works best for you.

Four ways to vote — pick whatever works for you.

Who can vote?

You must be at least 18 years old on election day. Additionally:

  • Riksdag election — You must be a Swedish citizen. You must live in Sweden or have lived in Sweden previously.
  • Regional and municipal elections — You must be registered in the region/municipality. You can be a citizen of Sweden, an EU country, Iceland, or Norway. Citizens of other countries have the right to vote if they've lived in Sweden for at least 3 years.
Who can vote — the age limit and the requirements for each election.

Your voting card

Before the election, the Swedish Election Authority sends a voting card to everyone eligible to vote. It shows your name, which elections you can vote in, and your polling station address. You don't need to bring it, but it can speed things up at the polling station.

The voting card arrives by post — it shows your name, which elections you can vote in, and your polling station.

How to vote on the election day (Sunday, September 13, 2026)

The path to voting — voting card first, then early voting or election day, and finally fill in and hand in. The election-day steps are explained in detail below.
  1. Bring ID — Driver's license, passport, or national ID card.
  2. Choose your ballots — At the polling station, you'll find ballots for all parties. The ballots are color-coded:
    🟡 Yellow — Riksdag (national parliament)
    🔵 Blue — Regional council
    ⚪ White — Municipal council
    The ballots are clearly marked, so you don't need to remember this in detail.
  3. Go behind the screen — Place one ballot in an envelope for each election. In total three envelopes. Your vote is always secret.
  4. Hand in your envelopes — Give them to the polling staff member who places them in the ballot box.

Early voting

You don't have to wait until election day. Early voting is open August 26th - September 13th. You can vote early at any voting station in Sweden.

Here you can find where to cast an early vote: Förtidsrösta 2026 (in Swedish) or Early vote 2026 (computer translation to English).

Voting from abroad

If you live abroad, you can vote at a Swedish embassy, consulate or by mail. Order your materials from the Election Authority well in advance, you can order them a few months before the election.

Help and accessibility

All polling stations must be accessible. If you need help, you can ask an polling staff member. You can also bring someone you trust. Polling staff members have a duty of confidentiality.

If you can't get to a polling station, you can vote by proxy (bud) or have a mobile election worker come to your home. Here is more information on getting assistance for voting.

Source: Swedish Election Authority