What this means
Voting by courier is available when you can not make it to the place of voting yourself, for any of several reasons. For example due to illness, age, disability or being held in jail or prison. You can prepare the vote and someone else brings it to the place of voting.
Voting by courier works both for your designated place of voting on Election Day – and when voting ahead of time.
What you need
To vote by courier you need:
- A person to carry your vote for you (the courier),
- a witness, and
- specific material that you order online, or pick up from your municipal/town hall.
People who can be your courier
Only certain people can be couriers. They have to be 18 years of age and show valid identification when delivering your vote.
Sweden's election authority lists these people as valid couriers:
- Your spouse or live-in partner
- Your own children, grandchildren, parents or siblings
- Your spouse's or live-in partner's children, grandchildren, parents or siblings
- People who professionally attend to your care or otherwise assist in personal matters
- Employees of the jail or correctional institution
- Lantbrevbärare - a postal worker who works along designated service lines in rural areas
People who can be your witness
The witness can be anyone over 18, but the witness can not be the same person as the courier.
The purpose of the witness is to be present when you prepare your vote and together with the courier confirm that the vote has been prepared in the correct way.
Step-by-step procedure
- Prepare your vote in privacy, placing the paper ballot in the designated envelope. One ballot and envelope for each election you are voting in. Seal the envelope.
- Place the ballot envelopes inside the outer envelope for courier votes (in Swedish: ytterkuvert för budröst) and seal it. You must have a courier and a witness present when you place the ballot envelope in the outer envelope for courier votes.
Do not place your voting card (röstkort) inside the envelope. This is a common mistake.
If your courier is a lantbrevbärare they do not need to be present when you prepare the vote. - Fill in your personal details on the outer envelope.
- The witness and the courier confirm that the vote has been prepared in the correct manner by signing and also filling in their personal details on the outer envelope.
- Now the courier can bring your vote to your place of voting (on Election Day) or a place for early voting. The courier must be able to confirm their identity with a valid identification.
The courier must bring your voting card (röstkort) if they are bringing your vote to a place for early voting.
Keep an eye on this page on Valmyndigheten in case something changes: Rösta med bud.