Sweden Election Result Date: Sweden’s 2026 election is heading into a decisive phase as voters choose between keeping Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing government in power or bringing former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and the centre-left back to office. But beyond the leadership contest, Sunday’s vote could mark a major political shift if the Sweden Democrats win enough support to enter government for the first time.
The election is taking place on September 13, 2026, with more than eight million eligible voters choosing members of the Riksdag as well as representatives for regional and municipal councils. Polling stations will remain open from 8 am to 8 pm local time. Preliminary counting will begin after voting closes, with early results expected on election night.
The race has remained extremely close in the final days. Recent polling gives the centre-left opposition a small advantage, but the gap has narrowed enough to keep the result uncertain. An Indikator Opinion poll for Swedish Radio put the four-party opposition bloc at 50.8%, compared with 47.6% for the government parties and Sweden Democrats.
Sweden Election Result Date
Sweden will vote on September 13, 2026, in the parliamentary election, with preliminary results expected after polling stations close at 8 pm local time. The first figures will come during election night, while the formal counting process will continue afterwards.
The result will determine the composition of Sweden’s 349-seat Riksdag and help decide whether Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing bloc can remain in power or whether former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and the centre-left opposition can form the next government.
The result could also have wider political significance because a right-wing victory may bring the Sweden Democrats into government for the first time. The party has supported Kristersson’s government from outside the cabinet since 2022.
Sweden Election Date
The Sweden Election 2026 date is September 13, 2026.
Polling stations will open at 8 am and close at 8 pm local time. Advance voting began on August 26 and continued through election day.
Swedish voters are participating in three elections on the same day: the election for the national Riksdag, elections for 21 regional councils, and elections for 290 municipal councils.
When is the Sweden Election 2026? Check Polling Time
The official election day is Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Polling stations will open at 8 am local time and close at 8 pm local time. Early voting began on August 26.
Swedish voters are choosing representatives in three separate elections on the same day:
- Riksdag election
- Regional council elections
- Municipal council elections
The Riksdag has 349 seats, and the party or bloc that can secure enough parliamentary support will be in the strongest position to form the next government.
Sweden General Election 2026
This is Sweden’s 2026 general election, with voters choosing all 349 members of the Riksdag, Sweden’s national parliament.
The election is mainly being watched as a contest between two broad political blocs. The right includes the Moderate Party, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals, while the centre-left includes the Social Democrats, Left Party, Green Party and Centre Party.
The main political contest is between Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party and Sweden’s incumbent prime minister, and Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats and a former prime minister.
Sweden Polls: Ulf Kristersson vs Magdalena Andersson
The two main contenders are incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party, and Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats and a former prime minister.
Kristersson became prime minister after the 2022 election, when the Moderate Party formed a government with the Christian Democrats and Liberals. The Sweden Democrats supported the government from outside parliament rather than taking cabinet positions.
Andersson, meanwhile, is trying to return to the prime minister’s office after four years in opposition. The Social Democrats remain Sweden’s largest party in most recent polls.
The final days have made the contest harder to predict. Kristersson’s bloc has gained ground while Andersson’s earlier advantage has narrowed.
Sweden Election 2026: What is the Sweden Democrats’ Role?
The Sweden Democrats are at the centre of the election.
The party has roots in the far-right and was founded in the 1980s by people associated with nationalist and Nazi-linked movements. It spent years outside Sweden’s political mainstream before becoming a major electoral force.
In the 2022 election, the party became the second-largest party in the Riksdag, overtaking Kristersson’s Moderates. It then supported the new government without formally joining it.
The 2026 election could therefore represent the next stage of its political rise.
If the right wins and Kristersson follows through on his promise, Sweden Democrats politicians could enter government as ministers for the first time.
Sweden Election 2026: Candidate Full List
The election is not a direct presidential contest. Swedish voters elect members of parliament through a proportional representation system, and the parliamentary numbers then determine who can form a government.
The main party leaders and prominent contenders include:
| Party | Leader | Political Bloc |
|---|---|---|
| Social Democrats | Magdalena Andersson | Centre-left |
| Moderate Party | Ulf Kristersson | Right |
| Sweden Democrats | Jimmie Åkesson | Right |
| Left Party | Nooshi Dadgostar | Centre-left |
| Centre Party | Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist | Centre-left |
| Christian Democrats | Ebba Busch | Right |
| Green Party | Amanda Lind and Daniel Helldén | Centre-left |
| Liberals | Simona Mohamsson | Right |
The eight parties represented in the Riksdag are the main parties competing for parliamentary seats. Sweden uses an open-list proportional representation system, with a general 4% national threshold for parliamentary representation.
Sweden Election 2026: Which Issues Matter Most to Swedish Voters?
Several domestic issues have shaped the campaign.
- Crime and gang violence: Sweden has spent years dealing with gang-related shootings and organised crime. The government says its tougher policies have helped reduce violence, while the opposition argues that prevention and social measures also need greater attention.
- Immigration: Migration has become one of the biggest dividing lines between the political blocs. The Kristersson government has introduced tougher immigration policies with strong backing from the Sweden Democrats.
- Welfare and household finances: Healthcare, welfare spending, taxes and the cost of living remain important campaign issues. The Social Democrats have campaigned for greater public spending and stronger welfare services.
- National security: Sweden’s NATO membership and defence policy also remain important, although the country’s broad security direction has support across much of the political spectrum.
