Analysis reveals discrepancies in EU election vote counting, prompts review of system

A recent analysis of vote counting in the latest EU elections reveals gaps in the system. In almost half of the districts examined, the numbers do not add up, with the most common discrepancy being more votes than ballot envelopes.

As the Minister of Democracy, Parisa Liljestrand, expressed serious concern over these findings and is closely monitoring the situation. She stressed the importance of investigating whether this is a recurring issue that requires a more thorough inquiry.

Anna Nyqvist, head of the Election Authority, shared her view on these revelations, stating that all errors in the election system are serious as they can damage trust. However, she does not believe these errors could have affected the election results.

The Authority proposed that procedures and training for vote receivers be reviewed, explaining that for many vote receivers, it’s their first and only day on the job. The system is challenging, with many manual steps. Nyqvist suggested considering machine counting in the evening and said the Election Authority is working to improve the system.

She explained that the Authority has proposed a new ballot system where the voter receives a stamped ballot in hand, with no envelope. She believes most of the errors that have occurred would not happen under this system.

The analysis was conducted by sampling 14 municipalities and examining vote counting in their electoral districts, totaling 410. The focus was on the number of ticks in the voter list, the number of counted envelopes, and the number of counted ballots, both on election night and during the county administrative board’s recounts. Differences that arose in any of these variables were noted.

The municipalities examined included Borås, Falköping, Falun, Härnösand, Jokkmokk, Klippan, Landskrona, Mölndal, Ronneby, Sala, Skellefteå, Sölvesborg, Täby, and Varberg. There are a total of 290 municipalities and around 6,000 electoral districts in Sweden, so this investigation is not comprehensive.