How ballot papers work
Published: 10 June 2026
Different ballot papers in Swedish elections – what they look like and how they work.
Ballot papers have different colours for different elections.
- Yellow –The Riksdag
- White – Municipal Assembly
- Blue – Region Assembly
- White – European Parliament
There are three types of ballot papers during an election:
- Name ballot papers – ballot papers with both party denomination and names of candidates.
- Party ballot papers – ballot papers with only party denomination.
- Blank ballot papers – ballot papers with only election denomination
Examples of different types of ballot papers
(Click the images to enlarge them.)
Zoom imageBlank ballot paper for municipal council elections, white
Zoom imageParty ballot paper for regional council elections, blue
Zoom imageName ballot paper for the Riksdag election, yellow.
Zoom imageName ballot paper for the European Parliament election, white.
It is also stated on the ballot paper which election and which area it applies to, for example a specific constituency.
You always vote primarily for a political party. You can then choose whether to cast a personal vote for one of the party’s candidates, so that the candidate can be elected.
Film: Ballot papers
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Ballot papers in the Riksdag, regional and munincipal elections