2026-03-112025/26:KU27 · p.11KUConstitution
Voters with Visual Impairment or Other Disability
Election accessibility for people with disabilities
What's at stake: The decision affects how quickly and broadly accessibility improves for voters with disabilities - in polling stations, during voting, and in other democratic settings such as committee meetings - affecting everyone who has difficulty participating in elections and public debate on equal terms.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the current rules and ongoing inquiry work are enough to ensure free and secret elections for people with disabilities, or whether parliament should now issue a formal statement urging the government to actively ensure accessibility both during elections and between them.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the Elections Act was recently amended to clarify the requirement that voting be accessible to all voters, and that the Ballot Paper Committee intends, in its final report, to further examine the conditions for free and secret elections for people with disabilities. The committee therefore finds no reason for parliament to take its own initiative and rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 6 (C)
The dissenter (C) instead wants the government to actively work to ensure accessibility both during elections and between them: all polling stations should be adapted for people with disabilities, ballot secrecy should be guaranteed for them, and venues where democracy is practiced between elections, such as committee meetings, should also be fully accessible.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 6 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, MPMiljöpartiet
Ja 181–21Ja 151–51
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 18/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/89/17 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 14/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | No 0/21/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: high | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 56/0/0/12 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2025/26:3583 by Muharrem Demirok et al. (C) proposal 11 and 2025/26:3721 by Jennie Nilsson et al. (S) proposal 3.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2025/26:3583 av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C) yrkande 11 och 2025/26:3721 av Jennie Nilsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 3.
Riksdag decision: Parliament proposes that parliament says no to 42 proposals in motions on electoral matters. The motions have been submitted during the general motion period of 2025 and concern, among other things, the electoral system, increased voter participation, the voting age, the names of electoral districts, separate election days and voters with visual impairment or other disability. Parliament refers, among other things, to previous positions and that work is already underway in the areas covered by the proposals.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to introduce a new ballot system with neutral ballots where voters fill in a number for their party according to a list of candidates. (C) — Reservation 6
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan explicitly mentions that those who have a disability shall be able to use their voting right on equal terms as everyone else, and requires that all parts of society be made accessible with a disability perspective present in all policy areas.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly mentions that those who have a disability shall be able to use their voting right on equal terms as everyone else, and requires that all parts of society be made accessible with a disability perspective present in all policy areas. The counter-proposal's demands for accessible polling places, guaranteed voting secrecy and accessible premises also between elections follow directly from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen nämner uttryckligen att den som har en funktionsnedsättning ska kunna använda sin rösträtt på samma villkor som alla andra, och kräver att alla delar av samhället görs tillgängliga med funktionshinderperspektivet närvarande i alla politikområden. Motförslagets krav på tillgängliga vallokaler, tryggad valhemlighet och tillgängliga lokaler också mellan valen följer direkt av det.
- participation and voting rightdecisive»i ett fotbollslag och använda sin rösträtt till att ta en fika på stan.« (party programme ↗)“in a football team and use their voting right to have a coffee in town.”
- make all of society accessible»Vi vill skapa ett mer inkluderande samhälle genom att stärka välfärden« (party programme ↗)“We want to create a more inclusive society by strengthening welfare”
- disability perspective everywhere»ska finnas med i alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“shall be present in all policy areas.”
- right to participation in society»På samma sätt ska du som lever med funktionsnedsättning kunna lita på att du får det stöd du behöver, och på att din rätt att delta i samhället på det sätt du vill inte ständigt ifrågasätts och försvåras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the same way you living with disability shall be able to rely on getting the support you need, and on your right to participate in society in the way you want not constantly being questioned and obstructed.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan requires that barriers for persons with disabilities to participate in social life be removed and that everyone be given equal opportunity to participate, with universal and equal suffrage as the foundation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that barriers for persons with disabilities to participate in social life be removed and that everyone be given equal opportunity to participate, with universal and equal suffrage as the foundation. The counter-proposal's demand for accessible polling places, guaranteed ballot secrecy and accessible premises also between elections is precisely such a removal of barriers. The election manifesto furthermore binds the party to persons with disabilities being able to live their lives as others.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att hindren för personer med funktionsnedsättning att delta i samhällslivet undanröjs och att alla ges lika möjlighet till delaktighet, med allmän och lika rösträtt som grund. Motförslagets krav på tillgängliga vallokaler, tryggad valhemlighet och tillgängliga lokaler också mellan valen är just ett undanröjande av sådana hinder. Valmanifestet binder dessutom partiet vid att personer med funktionsnedsättning ska kunna leva sitt liv som andra.
- removed barriers to participationdecisive»Undanröjda hinder för personer med funktionsnedsättning att delta i samhällslivet.« (party programme ↗)“Removed barriers for persons with disabilities to participate in social life.”
- universal and equal suffrage»Allmän och lika rösträtt.« (party programme ↗)“Universal and equal suffrage.”
- live their lives as others»Personer med funktionsnedsättning ska kunna leva sitt liv som andra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Persons with disabilities shall be able to live their lives as others.”
- equal opportunity to participate»Alla ska ges lika möjlighet till delaktighet i samhällslivet, oavsett bakgrund.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall be given equal opportunity to participate in social life, regardless of background.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme establishes that people with disabilities shall have access to public space on equal terms and that all public activities shall be accessible to everyone.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that people with disabilities shall have access to public space on equal terms and that all public activities shall be accessible to everyone. Polling stations and premises for committee meetings are such public activities, which makes the counter-proposal's demand a direct application of the commitment. The programme also requires that lack of accessibility be actively counteracted.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att personer med funktionsnedsättning ska ha tillgång till det offentliga rummet på likvärdiga villkor och att all offentlig verksamhet ska vara tillgänglig för alla. Vallokaler och lokaler för nämndsammanträden är sådan offentlig verksamhet, vilket gör motförslagets krav till en direkt tillämpning av åtagandet. Programmet kräver också att bristande tillgänglighet aktivt motverkas.
- accessible public activitiesdecisive»offentlig verksamhet ska vara tillgänglig för alla« (party programme ↗)“public activities shall be accessible to everyone”
- equal access to public space»ska ha tillgång till det offentliga rummet på likvärdiga villkor« (party programme ↗)“shall have access to public space on equal terms”
- counteract lack of accessibility»Funkofobi och bristande tillgänglighet ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Disablism and lack of accessibility shall be counteracted.”
- equal support throughout the country»förbättra stödet för personer med funktionsnedsättning och sällsynta diagnoser oavsett var du bor i landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“improve support for people with disabilities and rare diagnoses regardless of where you live in the country”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme establishes that accessibility is crucial for people with disabilities and that the party wants to see a society with full accessibility, and that discriminatory structures must be combated.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that accessibility is crucial for people with disabilities and that the party wants to see a society with full accessibility, and that discriminatory structures must be combated. The election manifesto wants to strengthen the work against discrimination and make disability a hate crime ground, and makes liberal democracy something that must be actively tended. Making polling stations and venues for democratic work between elections accessible follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att tillgängligheten är avgörande för människor med funktionsnedsättning och att partiet vill se ett samhälle med full tillgänglighet, samt att diskriminerande strukturer ska bekämpas. Valmanifestet vill stärka arbetet mot diskriminering och göra funktionsnedsättning till hatbrottsgrund, och gör den liberala demokratin till något som aktivt ska vårdas. Att vallokaler och lokaler för demokratiskt arbete mellan valen görs tillgängliga följer av detta.
- full accessibilitydecisive»Tillgängligheten är avgörande för människor med olika funktionsnedsättningar.« (party programme ↗)“Accessibility is crucial for people with various disabilities.”
- combat discriminatory structures»Vi bekämpar alla strukturer, formella och informella, som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor.« (party programme ↗)“We combat all structures, formal and informal, that oppress or discriminate against people.”
- counteract discrimination»lägga till kön och funktionsnedsättning som hatbrottsgrunder« (2022 manifesto ↗)“add gender and disability as hate crime grounds”
- tend liberal democracy»Den liberala demokratin får aldrig tas för given.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Liberal democracy must never be taken for granted.”
The plan establishes that Sweden shall be an accessible country, that the public environment shall be accessible and that systematic supervision is needed to remove easily correctable obstacles.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that Sweden shall be an accessible country, that the public environment shall be accessible and that systematic supervision is needed to remove easily correctable obstacles. Polling stations and locations where democracy is exercised between elections are part of the public environment. The counter-proposal's requirement for actively ensured accessibility and protected voting secrecy therefore follows from the plan's commitment to equal rights for all.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att Sverige ska vara ett tillgängligt land, att den offentliga miljön ska vara tillgänglig och att systematisk tillsyn behövs för att få bort enkelt avhjälpta hinder. Vallokaler och lokaler där demokratin utövas mellan valen omfattas av den offentliga miljön. Motförslagets krav på aktivt säkerställd tillgänglighet och skyddad valhemlighet följer därmed av planens åtagande om lika rättigheter för alla.
- accessibility in public environmentdecisive»Sverige ska vara ett tillgängligt land.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be an accessible country.”
- remove easily correctable obstacles»Systematisk tillsyn behövs för att få bort enkelt avhjälpta hinder.« (party programme ↗)“Systematic supervision is needed to remove easily correctable obstacles.”
- active citizenship»Demokratin förutsätter aktiva medborgare och ett levande demokratiskt samtal.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy presupposes active citizens and a living democratic conversation.”
- equal rights for all»Rättigheter och möjligheter ska vara lika för alla i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Rights and opportunities shall be equal for everyone in Sweden.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme establishes that public institutions and facilities must be designed with high requirements for accessibility, that ballot secrecy must be protected and that citizens must have the opportunity for participation not only at election time but continuously.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that public institutions and facilities must be designed with high requirements for accessibility, that ballot secrecy must be protected and that citizens must have the opportunity for participation not only at election time but continuously. The counter-proposal's requirement for adapted polling stations, ensured ballot secrecy and accessible premises also between elections are precisely these commitments applied. The constitution must moreover ensure that no one is discriminated against on the basis of functional variations.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att offentliga inrättningar och anläggningar ska utformas med höga krav på tillgänglighet, att valhemligheten ska skyddas och att medborgare ska ha möjlighet till delaktighet inte bara vid valtillfället utan kontinuerligt. Motförslagets krav på anpassade vallokaler, tryggad valhemlighet och tillgängliga lokaler även mellan valen är just dessa åtaganden tillämpade. Grundlagen ska dessutom säkerställa att ingen diskrimineras på grund av funktionsvariationer.
- accessible public premisesdecisive»utformas med höga krav på tillgänglighet« (party programme ↗)“designed with high requirements for accessibility”
- protected ballot secrecy»Valhemligheten ska skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“Ballot secrecy must be protected.”
- participation also between elections»deltagande, inflytande och delaktighet, inte bara vid valtillfället« (party programme ↗)“participation, influence and involvement, not only at election time”
- prohibition of discrimination»ingen diskrimineras på grund av kön, ålder« (party programme ↗)“no one is discriminated against on the basis of gender, age”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan states that citizens shall elect their representatives in free and secret elections and that rights and opportunities shall apply equally to all.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that citizens shall elect their representatives in free and secret elections and that rights and opportunities shall apply equally to all. Polling stations and venues for democratic work between elections being accessible is a prerequisite for that equality to be real. The documents do not explicitly address accessibility at elections, so the conclusion is derived from democratic principles.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att medborgarna ska utse sina representanter i fria och hemliga val och att rättigheter och möjligheter ska gälla lika för alla. Att vallokaler och lokaler för demokratiskt arbete mellan valen är tillgängliga är en förutsättning för att den likheten ska vara reell. Dokumenten behandlar inte tillgänglighet vid val uttryckligen, varför slutsatsen härleds ur demokratiprinciperna.
- free and secret electionsdecisive»Medborgarna ska utse sina politiska representanter« (party programme ↗)“Citizens shall elect their political representatives”
- equal rights for all»Sverige ska vara ett fritt och öppet samhälle där rättigheter, skyldigheter och möjligheter gäller lika för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be a free and open society where rights, obligations and opportunities apply equally to all.”
- strengthened democratic foundations»Demokratins grundvalar behöver stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Democracy's foundations need to be strengthened.”
- living political life»Sverige ska ha ett levande politiskt liv« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a living political life”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that citizens who face challenges beyond their control should not be limited in their access to public life, which directly supports the requirement for accessible polling places and protected ballot secrecy for people with disabilities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that citizens who face challenges beyond their control should not be limited in their access to public life, which directly supports the requirement for accessible polling places and protected ballot secrecy for people with disabilities. The plan also wishes to strengthen the electoral system so that elections can be conducted reliably and is based on all public power emanating from the people. The requirement for accessible facilities also between elections follows from the same principle.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att medborgare som möter utmaningar bortom egen kontroll inte ska begränsas i sin tillgång till samhällslivet, vilket direkt bär kravet på tillgängliga vallokaler och skyddad valhemlighet för personer med funktionsnedsättning. Planen vill dessutom stärka valsystemet så att val kan genomföras tillförlitligt och bygger på att all offentlig makt utgår från folket. Kravet på tillgängliga lokaler även mellan valen följer av samma princip.
- full participation for people with disabilitiesdecisive»Medborgare som på grund av omständigheter bortom egen kontroll möter andra utmaningar i vardagen ska inte begränsas i sin tillgång till samhälls- eller arbetslivet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Citizens who, due to circumstances beyond their control, face other challenges in everyday life should not be limited in their access to public or work life.”
- reliable elections»Det svenska valsystemet bör stärkas för att garantera att allmänna val kan genomföras på ett tillförlitligt sätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish electoral system should be strengthened to guarantee that general elections can be conducted reliably.”
- foundation of democratic governance»Att all offentlig makt i Sverige skall utgå från folket« (party programme ↗)“That all public power in Sweden shall emanate from the people”
- equal conditions regardless of disability»Alla medborgare ska ha rätt till ett gott liv och en fullgod levnadsstandard, även om man är född med eller råkar ut för något som gjort att man har fysiska eller kognitiva begränsningar eller variationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All citizens shall have the right to a good life and adequate living standards, even if one is born with or experiences something that has caused physical or cognitive limitations or variations.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:KU27)
- Committee report full text (HD01KU27)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:1094 — Sänkt rösträttsålder till 16 år av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2025/26:1177 — Valkretsnamn av Ulrika Heie och Mikael Larsson (båda C)
- Motion 2025/26:139 — Harmonisering av småpartispärren till kommunfullmäktige av Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:1592 — Försöksverksamhet med rösträtt från 16 års ålder i kommunala val av Jonathan Svensson (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1619 — Rösträtt för 16-åringar av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:1643 — Skaraborgs valkrets av Charlotte Nordström (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1679 — Inför skilda valdagar i Sverige av Mikael Damsgaard (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1690 — Rösta utan kö av Margareta Cederfelt (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1724 — Svenskt medborgarskap för att få rösta i kommun- och regionval av Crister Carlsson m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1764 — Rösträttens koppling till medborgarskap av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2034 — Digitalt valdeltagande av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2063 — Rösträtt i kommunval från 16 år av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2025/26:2162 — Skaraborgs valkrets av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2331 — Försöksverksamhet för sänkt rösträttsålder till 16 år av Arber Gashi (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2540 — Fyllnadsval för att förhindra tomma stolar i kommun- och regionfullmäktige av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2589 — Ändrad spärrnivå vid val till kommunfullmäktige av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2826 — Lättläst demokratisatsning av Ulrika Heie (C)
- Motion 2025/26:3077 — Den svenska diasporan av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:308 — En samlad ungdomspolitik av Vasiliki Tsouplaki m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:3087 — Skilda valdagar av Markus Wiechel (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament