Election observation

Published: 27 August 2026

All vote reception and vote counting is open to the general public. This means that anyone can come and watch. However, it’s important not to disrupt the work of the polling staff.

Public access to elections

Any member of the public is allowed to come and observe how vote reception and vote counting are carried out. However, vote reception and vote counting must not be disrupted.

Poll clerks are responsible for maintaining order at voting locations. Anyone who is in the voting location or in an adjacent area must comply with the instructions given by the poll clerks in order for vote reception to be carried out.

Public access applies to:

vote reception in advance voting locations
vote reception in polling stations on election day
vote counting in polling stations on election night
preliminary vote counting by municipal election committees on the Wednesday and Thursday after election day
vote counting by county administrative boards.

Voluntary accreditation of election observers

Election observation organizations may apply for accreditations for their observers. Only organizations can apply, the application is managed by the Swedish Election Authority.

Accreditation of election observers