Sweden 2026 elections
Sweden elects its 349-seat Riksdag, along with all region and municipal councils, on Sunday 13 September 2026.
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Three elections, one day
Three elections are held on the same day, Sunday 13 September 2026: the Riksdag, the region councils (regionfullmäktige) and the municipal councils (kommunfullmäktige). Riksdag elections are held every four years, on the second Sunday in September. Polling stations are open from 08:00 to 20:00.
Who can vote
Swedish citizens who turn 18 by election day and are, or have been, registered as resident in Sweden are eligible to vote in the Riksdag election. Candidates must themselves be eligible to vote and be nominated by a party, having consented to candidacy in advance. Swedish citizens living abroad may vote by post or in person at an embassy or consulate.
How the 349 seats are distributed
The Riksdag has 349 seats: 310 fixed constituency seats and 39 adjustment seats, allocated to make national representation as proportional as possible. A party needs 4% of the vote nationally to enter the Riksdag, or 12% of the vote within a single constituency to win seats in that constituency alone. Seats are allocated using the adjusted odd numbers method across 29 constituencies, mainly coterminous with counties — Stockholm, Skåne and Västra Götaland are each divided into several. Stockholm County was the largest constituency after the 2022 election, with 43 members; Gotland, with 2, was the smallest. A candidate can also win a seat directly by personal vote, which requires at least 5% of their party's ballots in the constituency.
Thresholds in the region and municipal elections
The thresholds are lower outside the Riksdag. A party needs 3% of the vote in the region to enter a region council. For a municipal council the threshold depends on how the municipality is organised: 3% in municipalities divided into constituencies, and 2% in municipalities that are not. A personal vote for a region council also requires at least 100 votes, and for a municipal council at least 50.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 April | Last day for parties to order ballot papers for delivery 45 days before election day; last day for parties with a registered designation to register candidates and lock their lists |
| 7–25 July | Overseas voting cards and postal voting material sent to Swedes abroad eligible in the Riksdag election |
| 30 July | First day overseas postal votes may be sent |
| 14 August | Electoral roll fixed; last day for parties to register participation |
| 15 August | Voting cards begin going out to everyone eligible in Sweden; a majority receive them digitally for the first time |
| 20 August | Advance voting opens at embassies and consulates abroad; proxy voting opens in Sweden |
| 26 August | Advance voting opens in Sweden, running to election day. Voters no longer need to bring the voting card — identification is enough |
| 1 September | Last day to request a correction to the electoral roll |
| 11 September | Last day to consent to candidacy on an open list |
| 13 September | Election day. Polls open 08:00–20:00; preliminary counting begins when they close |
| 14 September | County administrative boards begin the final count |
| 16 September | Municipal collection count begins, continuing into 17 September if needed; late overseas and advance votes are counted and the election-night preliminary result is updated |
| About one week after election day | The final Riksdag result is established; final counting for region and municipal councils continues after that |
When the result is known
Preliminary counting begins as soon as polls close at 20:00 on 13 September. County administrative boards start the final count the next day, 14 September, and municipal collection counts begin on 16 September, continuing into 17 September if needed, updating the election-night preliminary result with late overseas and advance votes. The final Riksdag result is normally established about a week after election day; final counting for the region and municipal councils continues after that.