OSSE/ODIHR Will Not Send Election Observers to Sweden

Sweden will not have official election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSSE/ODIHR) for its general election this autumn. The decision comes after a "Needs Assessment Mission" conducted by OSSE/ODIHR representatives in Sweden from May 5 to 7.

During their visit, OSSE/ODIHR officials met with various stakeholders, including government agencies, political parties, and media representatives. The purpose was to evaluate the electoral environment and preparations for the upcoming parliamentary, regional, and municipal elections. According to the mission's report, all parties expressed a very high level of confidence in Sweden's electoral system and the Valmyndigheten's (Election Authority) capacity to conduct a professional, impartial, and transparent election.

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The Swedish elections are open for anyone to observe. They have been in the past and still are.

Based on these findings, OSSE/ODIHR concluded that an election observation mission is not recommended for the Swedish election. Despite the absence of official OSSE/ODIHR observers, several other organizations have registered their intent to monitor the election process. Sweden has also introduced a new accreditation system for election observers, following a law change on December 1, 2025, which aims to facilitate their work after previous criticism from organizations like OSSE regarding the lack of formal accreditation.

As of July 22, nine organizations have applied for and received accreditation to observe the election scheduled for September 13. However, the Valmyndigheten emphasizes that observing Swedish elections remains open to anyone, with or without accreditation, as has been the case in the past.

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Therefore, Sweden introduced accreditation as a possibility, after a law change that took effect on December 1, 2025. It is absolutely not a requirement, but organizations or individuals can observe Swedish elections without accreditation.