Provide the voter with guidance in preparing their vote
Published: 23 February 2026
A polling staff member must be able to guide the voter through each step in the voting procedure in order to provide them with the necessary means to prepare their vote.
Steps to take to guide the voter
Greet the voter and ensure that queues remain outside the voting location
Welcome the voter when they arrive at the voting location. Explain to the voter the various steps they need to complete before they can hand in their ballot. Please use the information materials provided by the Swedish Election Authority to outline these steps to the voter.
If many people come to vote at the same time, it’s a good idea to ensure that queues remain outside the voting location. This allows voters to prepare their votes without being disturbed. It also protects their voter secrecy.
The voter selects their ballot papers behind a screen
First the voter must select their ballot paper(s). They can select one or more, depending on how many elections they are eligible for and wish to vote in. They must do this in a screened-off area so that no one can see which ballot paper(s) they choose. Further information about the ballot papers that must be set out is available on the Swedish Election Authority’s website, val.se.
The polling staff are responsible for keeping the place where the ballot papers are displayed in good order. Carry out regular inspections to check that:
- all of the ballot papers are clearly visible
- no ballot papers have been moved or removed
- there is nothing other than ballot papers behind the screen.
Voters takes their ballot envelopes
The polling staff can either hand out ballot envelopes to voters, or let them pick them up themselves. If a voter only intends to vote in the election to the Riksdag, they need only one ballot envelope. If a voter intends to vote in the elections to the Riksdag and regional and municipal councils, they need three ballot envelopes: one for each election.
The voter prepares their vote at the voting booth
The voter must prepare their vote(s) alone behind the screen at the voting booth by putting one unfolded ballot paper in each ballot envelope.
Voters vote for a party, but also have the opportunity to cast a personal vote for a specific candidate representing that party. Find out more about voting for a party and casting a personal vote.
Voting for a party and casting a personal vote (in Swedish) External link.
Provide the voter with assistance if they request it
If a voter requires assistance due to a disability or any other functional impairment, as a member of the polling staff, you must offer to assist them. Keep in mind that not all disabilities are visible.
Polling staff have a duty of secrecy
As a general rule, you must not see who a voter votes for. However, in providing them with assistance, you might see anyway. You have a duty of secrecy when serving as a polling staff member. This means that you’re not permitted to disclose any details of how a voter voted, or reveal anything else that may become apparent when a voter receives assistance.
For the voter, the need to reveal how they vote can be a sensitive matter. Take care to act in a correct and trustworthy manner. Inform the voter of your duty of secrecy, both prior to and after they have voted.
Providing a voter with assistance
Always address the voter directly, even if an individual accompanying them helps them with communication.
If the voter is provided with assistance where the ballot papers are kept, it’s up to them to decide which ballot paper(s) they want to take. You must never influence the voter; you are only permitted to inform them of how the election works. If a voter needs assistance with carrying their ballot papers to the voting booth, you must make sure that nobody else sees which ballot papers they have selected.
The voter decides which parts of the procedure they need assistance with at the voting booth too. For example, this might involve putting an “x” in the box for a candidate, or placing their ballot paper in an envelope.
Assistance provided by another person
A voter can choose to be assisted by another person. This could be a relative or an independent party. An identity check is not required for a person who assists a voter.
Even if a voter opts for assistance from their own helper, a member of the polling staff must be present to protect the voter from undue influence. Their presence where the ballot papers are kept and at the voting booth ensures that the voter’s helper follows their instructions.
Keep all areas free of propaganda
A voting location and the area adjacent to it must be a neutral space in which the voter does not encounter any propaganda. This means any material designed to influence voter behaviour.
As a member of the polling staff, you must not wear clothes bearing party symbols or political messages. The voting location must be free from brochures or other publications containing political messages. Do not discuss politics in close proximity to the voting location during vote reception.
Order and disruptions
Polling staff are responsible for ensuring order during vote reception.
If an individual at or close to the voting location does not comply with your instructions, as a polling staff member, you can ask them to leave the premises temporarily. However, you must not intervene physically. An individual should only be requested to leave the premises in exceptional circumstances, as a last-resort measure to avoid interrupting vote reception. The individual may return to vote on a later occasion.
Document irregularities such as disturbances or interruptions in the daily report. You must also report certain types of incidents to the Swedish Election Authority. Documentation may be of importance in the event of an appeal or complaint regarding the voting process.