Published: 12 February 2024

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Candidates standing for election

Candidates for a party must have the right to vote in the elections in question and consent to the candidature prior to the election in order to be elected.

If you want to stand as a candidate in an election, there are three different options:

  • You can stand as a candidate for a party that registers all candidates on their list.
  • You can stand as a candidate for a party that has a list of names but is open to more nominations. The party may have your name printed on the ballot paper.
  • You can stand as a candidate for a party with a list that is open to nominations, without the consent of the party.

Stand as a candidate for a party that registers you on its list

It is common for a party itself to declare which candidates should be on its list. Candidates give their consent to the party nomination by signing a candidate declaration.

The candidate’s declaration form is obtained from the party’s respective commissioner or via val.se. The candidate declaration must be submitted by the party before the ballot paper is printed.

Only parties with registered party names can submit their candidates for an election, thereby safeguarding their list from the possibility of voters nominating other candidates.

Standing as a candidate for a party that does not register its list

A party may keep its list of candidates open, but nevertheless print the names of its candidates on the ballot paper.

If you are on such a ballot paper, you are not required to give consent before the ballot paper is printed, but you must give consent at least 2 days before the election date in order to be elected. As soon as you have consented, voters can also see your candidature on the website val.se.

You can also stand as a candidate for a party without the consent of the party. A prerequisite is that the party has not locked its list by registering all its candidates.

If you wish to stand as a candidate in this category, apply by giving your consent at least 2 days before the election. Your name is not printed on a ballot paper, but will be published on the website val.se as soon as your consent has been received.

The consent forms are available for download before each election:

  • in the case of elections to the Swedish parliament (Riksdag), municipal and regional councils, the consent form must be sent to the county administrative board;
  • in the case of elections to the European Parliament, the form should be sent to the Election Authority.

Are you eligible for election?

In order to be eligible to stand as a candidate, you must:

  • have the right to vote in the election in question
  • have given prior consent.

A foreign EU citizen who is standing for a party in the Swedish European Parliament elections must be registered here and must submit a declaration that he or she is not standing as a candidate in another EU country. See below for details.

EU citizens wishing to stand as a candidate

EU citizens living in Sweden can stand as candidates for municipal and regional council elections. You can also stand as a candidate in the Swedish elections to the European Parliament.

Standing as a candidate in Sweden in the elections to the European Parliament

Citizens of another EU country wishing to stand as a candidate for a party in the Swedish European Parliament elections must submit a declaration of candidacy to the Election Authority.

By filling in the form ‘Assurances concerning candidature’, you declare that you will not stand as a candidate for the European Parliament elections in any other EU country, and that you have not lost your right to stand as a candidate in your home country.

Assurances concerning candidature in Election to the European Parliament 2024, fillable form Pdf, 112 kB.

The Election Authority will then check the information with the Election Authority in your home country. If your home country indicates that you have lost your right to stand as a candidate in your home country, this means that you are also not eligible for election in the Swedish European Parliament elections.

In the candidate declaration form, you must:

  • indicate your nationality, address in Sweden, date of birth, place of birth and last known address in your home country
  • indicate the constituency or area in your country of origin where you were last entered on the electoral roll
  • declare that you will not stand as a candidate for the European Parliament elections in any other EU country.

Standing for election to municipal and regional councils

You can stand as a candidate if you have the right to vote in the current elections.

More on the right to vote and voting cards

To be eligible to stand as a candidate, you must agree to stand as a candidate. How you give your consent depends on whether or not you are standing as a candidate for a party that registers its list.