Swedish elections are often close, and the 2022 parliamentary election was no exception. The Tidö parties won by around 46,000 votes over the red-greens.
So it is understandable that the parties are interested in the approximately 220,000 Swedes living abroad who are on the electoral roll this year. Especially since voter turnout is low, with only just over 30 percent of Swedes living abroad usually voting.
"If you can just raise that a little bit, it will have a pretty significant effect," says SD MP Mattias Karlsson.
"There are some indications that this is a group that could lean to the right. That makes it particularly strategically interesting for us."
Overweight on the right
Since Swedes living abroad do not have their own constituency, detective work is required to find out how they vote. The only major recent survey was carried out by electoral researchers at the University of Gothenburg after the 2014 election.
It showed that Swedes living abroad vote more to the right than the average voter. For example, 36 percent voted for the Moderates, compared with the national result of 23 percent. The Liberals also had significantly greater support. The Social Democrats, on the other hand, only received 15 percent compared to 31 in the parliamentary election.
"I think there is still a right-wing bias in this group," says political science professor Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson, who was involved in conducting the survey.
The Sweden Democrats had lower support among Swedes abroad in 2014 than the national result, 7 percent compared to 13 percent. But since then, support for the SD has increased and the composition of Swedes abroad has also changed.
"My gut feeling is that support has increased for us, but it is based on anecdotal evidence," says Mattias Karlsson.
Want to reach Swedes abroad
Ahead of the elections this autumn, SD is investing more than ever in reaching Swedes abroad. A special working group has been appointed and the party wants, among other things, to build networks with SD sympathizers abroad who, in addition to personal contacts, can help ensure that the party's ballots are available at embassies and consulates. Extra effort is being put into countries with many Swedes, such as the USA, Norway, the UK, Spain and Thailand.
On Friday, May 22, an election debate was held at the Church of Sweden in Paris. Wine with cheese and charcuterie plates was served, along with information from the embassy about where and how to vote, followed by a debate between members of parliament Lawen Redar (S), Martin Ådahl (C) and Mats Green (M).
Lawen Redar says she had an aha moment.
"I came home and felt, oh!"
It wasn't only because she felt there was interest in S's politics, but also because the audience showed strong engagement on issues such as Swedish growth and unemployment.
"When we have such high unemployment, that is also the picture Swedes abroad see, and they want things to go well for Sweden," she says.
Decided the election
On election night in 1979, the Social Democrats and Olof Palme looked set to take home the victory, but it was a nail-bitingly close election, so when the last postal and overseas votes had been counted, the Moderates received the last decisive mandate.
In the past, the party was careless with the mandates of Swedes abroad, says Lawen Redar, but in this year's election, S will increase communication aimed at Swedes abroad and will accept invitations to more election debates. There have already been inquiries from London and Brussels.
Lawen Redar is not sure that it is any longer true that Swedes living abroad vote right-wing.
"That's probably how it has been historically, but I'm not sure it will be that way in the future," she says.
M and L will also conduct targeted campaigns to Swedes abroad. They do not want to reveal exactly what, but in the last election M sent personal video greetings from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to all Swedes abroad who were on the voting list at the time, and the party campaigned in places such as Hyde Park in London.
The Swedish Election Authority is also doing more this year to inform and facilitate Swedes abroad who want to vote. This follows the authority receiving a special assignment from the government.
Facts: How to vote abroad
Almost 220,000 Swedes living abroad are on the electoral roll ahead of the election this fall, according to preliminary figures. Even those who are not on the list can vote at embassies and consulates with valid identification or vote by mail, but they will not automatically receive the required postal voting materials.
This year, the government has tasked the Election Authority with facilitating overseas voting, including through targeted information. Around 82,000 people who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of the electoral roll have been contacted. Those who have emigrated must re-register ten years after moving to avoid dropping out of the electoral roll.
One new feature is that Swedes living abroad can vote early if they are visiting Sweden.
It is possible to vote at embassies and consulates and by mail.
Anyone voting by mail needs special postal voting materials and two witnesses over the age of 18.
Overseas voting cards and postal voting materials will be sent out in July.
Postal votes from abroad may begin to be sent on July 30.
Source: Election Authority
