This chapter turns democratic principles into the practical steps of an election. You will meet voting rights, ballot secrecy, early voting, parties and the allocation of seats. Different elections have different eligibility rules.
Read an election scenario in order: which election, which voter, then which rule? Do not assume that being able to vote locally also means being able to vote for the Riksdag.
Original study support by QuickSwedish. We are independent of UHR and Migrationsverket. The official book and test are in Swedish.
How old must you be by election day to vote for the Riksdag?
18 years. You must turn 18 by election day. Riksdag elections also require Swedish citizenship and current or previous population registration in Sweden.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Rösträtten i svenska val · Rösträtt i riksdagsvalet
What does ballot secrecy mean when a voter prepares their ballot behind the screen?
No one else should be able to see which party the voter chooses. Ballot secrecy means others should not be able to see your choice. The screen lets you prepare your vote in privacy.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Fria, hemliga och direkta val · Hemliga val; transparent valsystem
What do proportional elections mean in Sweden?
Parties’ seats roughly reflect their vote shares. Seats are allocated so that vote shares and seat shares roughly correspond. Thresholds and rounding to whole seats affect the exact result.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Så fördelas mandaten · Partispärrar; proportionell mandatfördelning
What does a mandate mean in an elected assembly?
A seat in the assembly. A mandate is a seat held by an elected member. Parties’ votes determine how many seats they can receive under election rules.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Så fördelas mandaten · Partispärrar; proportionell mandatfördelning
Swedish words to recognise
Read the word in Swedish, then connect it with its meaning.
Original QuickSwedish practice questions. Read, choose an answer, then open the explanation. These are not official test questions.
01 / 03 · Swedish question
Ali är 30, enbart indisk medborgare och folkbokförd i Malmö sedan fyra år utan avbrott. Vilka val har han rösträtt i?
Ali is 30, solely Indian and continuously registered in Malmö for four years. In which elections can he vote?
ARegionval och EU-val
BKommun- och regionval
CRiksdagsval och kommunval
DRiksdagsval och EU-val
Check your answer
B. Kommun- och regionval
Ali meets the three-year rule for municipal and regional elections. Indian citizenship does not qualify him for Riksdag or European elections in Sweden.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Rösträtten i svenska val · Rösträtt i regionvalet och kommunvalet
Maja gillar ett parti i rikspolitiken och ett annat lokalt. Vad gäller för hennes röster i riksdagsvalet och kommunvalet?
Maja likes one party nationally and another locally. What applies to her votes in the Riksdag and municipal elections?
AHennes riksdagsröst räknas också som hennes kommunröst
BHon får bara välja kommunpartier som har riksdagsmandat
CHon får välja olika partier i de två valen
DHon måste välja samma parti i de två valen
Check your answer
C. Hon får välja olika partier i de två valen
Each election selects a separate set of representatives. Maja can therefore choose her party separately in parliamentary and municipal elections.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Så röstar du på valdagen · Välj valsedlar ensam; en valsedel för varje val. Tillämpning tillsammans med fria val.
Which citizenship is required to vote in Sweden’s Riksdag election?
Swedish citizenship — Swedish citizenship is required for the Riksdag election. Age and current or previous registration in Sweden are also conditions.
Official source · val.se ↗ · Source checked Source details (Swedish)Valmyndigheten: Rösträtten i svenska val · Rösträtt i riksdagsvalet
Put the ideas into practice
Use a wrong answer to find what to revisit. A practice result is not an official pass assessment.
