2023-05-102022/23:KU23 · p.10KUConstitution
Incident reporting
Uniform incident reporting for elections
What's at stake: Consolidated incident reporting would give a clearer national overview of election fraud and sabotage and could strengthen the security and legitimacy of elections, but how and when such a routine should be introduced is disputed.
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 government should work toward establishing uniform, national incident reporting for the election authorities, or whether the current arrangement without such a common routine should remain.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee points out that the question of incident reporting in elections has recently been examined by the 2020 Election Inquiry, which highlighted the need for a nationally consolidated overview and proposed a routine for coordinated reporting with the Election Authority as the responsible agency, and against that background rejects the motion calling for a separate Riksdag initiative.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 5 (SD)
The reservation wants the government to work toward establishing uniform incident reporting for the Election Authority, the Election Review Board and the local election boards, since election fraud and sabotage - such as hiding or discarding opponents' ballots - risk damaging the legitimacy of elections and could even affect the outcome, while there is currently no central collection of incident and near-miss reports.
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 5 by SD.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 94/0/0/13 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 14/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | No 0/63/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motion 2022/23:962 by Matheus Enholm et al. (SD) demand 6.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2022/23:962 av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD) yrkande 6.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 40 motions on electoral matters that arrived during the general motion period 2022. The proposals concern, among other things, separate election days, voting rights and eligibility, lowered voting age, Swedes abroad, electoral districts, personal votes, voting procedures, voters with visual impairment or other disability, the electoral system, incident reporting, publication of opinion polls, geographic representation, municipal election information officers, increased voter turnout and appeals and return of mandates. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to measures already being taken in the areas that the motions address.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to introduce mandatory ID verification at voting and strengthen rules on neutrality at polling stations. (SD) — Reservation 5
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 party programme states that the people's political power is exercised through universal, free and fair elections and that political democracy, however imperfect, is invaluable and must be defended and deepened.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that the people's political power is exercised through universal, free and fair elections and that political democracy, however imperfect, is invaluable and must be defended and deepened. Unified incident reporting for electoral authorities and electoral boards aims to protect elections' legitimacy and thus belongs to this defence of elections' integrity. The plan does not address electoral administration, so the position is derived from general democratic principles.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att folkets politiska makt utövas genom allmänna, fria och rättvisa val och att den politiska demokratin, hur ofullgången den än är, är ovärderlig och ska försvaras och fördjupas. En enhetlig incidentrapportering för valmyndigheter och valnämnder syftar till att skydda valens legitimitet och hör därmed till detta försvar av valens integritet. Planen behandlar inte valadministrationen, så ställningstagandet är härlett ur allmänna demokratiprinciper.
- free and fair electionsdecisive»Folkets politiska makt ska utövas av riksdagen, tillsatt genom allmänna, fria och rättvisa val« (party programme ↗)“The people's political power shall be exercised by the Riksdag, established through universal, free and fair elections”
- defend political democracy»Den politiska demokratin – ofullgången men ovärderlig« (party programme ↗)“Political democracy – imperfect but invaluable”
- deepened democracy»en fördjupad demokratisering av det svenska samhället« (party programme ↗)“a deepened democratization of Swedish society”
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 election manifesto states that the Swedish people are a target for influence campaigns and disinformation and that the ability to resist this must be strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that the Swedish people are a target for influence campaigns and disinformation and that the ability to resist this must be strengthened. The party programme requires that the democratic process and administration be built on public access and transparency and that democracy's ability to turn decisions into reality be protected. Unified incident reporting that provides a comprehensive situational picture for elections aligns with this, but the plan does not address election administration.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet konstaterar att svenska folket är måltavla för påverkanskampanjer och desinformation och att förmågan att stå emot detta ska stärkas. Partiprogrammet kräver att den demokratiska processen och förvaltningen bygger på offentlighet och insyn och att demokratins förmåga att göra verklighet av fattade beslut värnas. En enhetlig incidentrapportering som ger en samlad lägesbild för valen ligger i linje med detta, men planen behandlar inte valadministrationen.
- protect democracy against influencedecisive»Svenska folket är måltavla för påverkanskampanjer och desinformation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish people are a target for influence campaigns and disinformation.”
- strengthened resilience»Arbetet för att stärka förmågan att stå emot cyberattacker och desinformation ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to strengthen the ability to resist cyberattacks and disinformation shall be strengthened.”
- public access and transparency»Den demokratiska processen och samhällsförvaltningen måste bygga på offentlighet och« (party programme ↗)“The democratic process and public administration must be built on public access and”
- democracy's ability to act is protected»demokratins förmåga att göra verklighet av fattade beslut.« (party programme ↗)“democracy's ability to turn decisions into reality.”
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 does not address election administration or incident reporting in elections.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address election administration or incident reporting in elections. The closest principle is the election manifesto's starting point that democracy should never be taken for granted and the party programme's requirement that citizens should always be able to scrutinize power and that all corruption should be countered. Based on that principle, the plan supports the requirement for unified incident reporting that safeguards the legitimacy of elections, but the evidence is weak.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte valadministration eller incidentrapportering vid val. Närmast liggande princip är valmanifestets utgångspunkt att demokratin aldrig får tas för given och partiprogrammets krav att medborgarna alltid ska kunna granska makten och att all korruption ska motarbetas. Utifrån den principen stöder planen kravet på en enhetlig incidentrapportering som värnar valens legitimitet, men underlaget är svagt.
- democracy must not be taken for granteddecisive»Den svenska demokratin är stark och livskraftig, men vi får aldrig ta den för given.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish democracy is strong and vibrant, but we must never take it for granted.”
- oversight of power»Medborgarna ska alltid kunna granska makten.« (party programme ↗)“Citizens should always be able to scrutinize power.”
- counter corruption»Alla former av korruption måste motarbetas.« (party programme ↗)“All forms of corruption must be countered.”
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 democratic institutions need protection and that resilience against external influence and infiltration must be strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that democratic institutions need protection and that resilience against external influence and infiltration must be strengthened. Uniform incident reporting with election authorities and election boards is a concrete way to protect election legitimacy. The plan also wants Sweden to become even more transparent, which supports a comprehensive picture of incidents.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att de demokratiska institutionerna behöver skydd och att motståndskraften mot yttre påverkan och infiltration måste rustas. Enhetlig incidentrapportering hos valmyndigheter och valnämnder är ett konkret sätt att skydda valens legitimitet. Planen vill dessutom att Sverige blir ännu mer transparent, vilket talar för en samlad lägesbild över incidenter.
- protect democratic institutionsdecisive»Våra demokratiska institutioner behöver skydd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our democratic institutions need protection.”
- resilience against influence»De politiska partierna är sårbara mot påverkan och infiltration.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Political parties are vulnerable to influence and infiltration.”
- democracy must be cared for»Den liberala demokratin får aldrig tas för given. Den ska vårdas, värnas och vidareutvecklas — idag och för kommande generationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Liberal democracy must never be taken for granted. It must be cared for, protected and developed further — today and for future generations.”
- increased transparency»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should become even more transparent.”
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 does not address electoral administration, but requires that Swedish democracy stand strong and that democratic values are maintained through constant work.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address electoral administration, but requires that Swedish democracy stand strong and that democratic values are maintained through constant work. Unified incident reporting that protects the legitimacy of elections against fraud and sabotage follows from that principle and from the plan's emphasis on transparency in popular government. The conclusion is derived from general democratic commitments, not from an explicit position.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte valadministrationen, men kräver att den svenska demokratin ska stå stark och att demokratiska värderingar upprätthålls genom ständigt arbete. En enhetlig incidentrapportering som skyddar valens legitimitet mot fusk och sabotage följer av den principen och av planens betoning av insyn i folkstyret. Slutsatsen härleds ur allmänna demokratiåtaganden, inte ur ett uttalat ställningstagande.
- protect liberal democracydecisive»Värna den liberala demokratin. Den svenska demokratin ska stå stark och dina rättigheter ska försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect liberal democracy. Swedish democracy must stand strong and your rights must be defended.”
- democracy's survival»Ansvaret för demokratins fortlevnad ligger ytterst hos medborgarna själva.« (party programme ↗)“The responsibility for democracy's survival ultimately lies with citizens themselves.”
- protection for political engagement»Demokratin förutsätter att medborgare vill och vågar engagera sig politiskt.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy requires that citizens want to and dare to engage politically.”
- transparency in popular government»Offentlighetsprincipen har en grundläggande betydelse för att förankra och fördjupa folkstyret, och är en« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access has fundamental importance for anchoring and deepening popular government, and is a”
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 wishes that ballot secrecy is protected and that there is an authority that can examine complaints regarding the correctness of general elections, which presupposes that incidents are actually captured and documented.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes that ballot secrecy is protected and that there is an authority that can examine complaints regarding the correctness of general elections, which presupposes that incidents are actually captured and documented. A uniform incident reporting for electoral authorities and election boards is a means for this. The plan is also based on the fact that democracy as a form of government must be cared for and protected against abuse of power.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att valhemligheten skyddas och att det finns en instans som kan pröva klagomål angående riktigheten av allmänna val, vilket förutsätter att incidenter faktiskt fångas upp och dokumenteras. En enhetlig incidentrapportering för valmyndigheter och valnämnder är ett medel för det. Planen bygger också på att demokratin som styrelseform måste vårdas och skyddas mot maktmissbruk.
- examination of electoral correctnessdecisive»ska vara att pröva klagomål angående riktigheten av« (party programme ↗)“shall be to examine complaints regarding the correctness of”
- protected ballot secrecy»Valhemligheten ska skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“Ballot secrecy shall be protected.”
- protect democracy's legitimacy»Den moderna demokratin är den bästa styrelseformen när den utgår från« (party programme ↗)“Modern democracy is the best form of government when it is based on”
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 requires zero tolerance for threats and attacks directed at our democratic processes, and that citizens appoint their representatives in free and secret elections.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires zero tolerance for threats and attacks directed at our democratic processes, and that citizens appoint their representatives in free and secret elections. Unified incident reporting for election authorities and election boards is a direct means to detect sabotage against elections. The plan also wants to strengthen the Security Police's ability to protect liberal democracy, which points in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Idéprogrammet kräver nolltolerans mot hot och angrepp som riktas mot våra demokratiska processer, och att medborgarna utser sina representanter i fria och hemliga val. En enhetlig incidentrapportering för valmyndigheter och valnämnder är ett direkt medel för att upptäcka sabotage mot valen. Planen vill också stärka Säkerhetspolisens förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin, vilket pekar i samma riktning.
- protection of democratic processesdecisive»fritt samhälle har nolltolerans mot alla typer av hot och våld,« (party programme ↗)“free society has zero tolerance for all types of threats and violence,”
- election legitimacy»Medborgarna ska utse sina politiska representanter« (party programme ↗)“Citizens should appoint their political representatives”
- protection of democracy»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their ability to protect liberal democracy and all citizens of the country”
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 demands that the Swedish electoral system be strengthened so that general elections can be reliably conducted.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands that the Swedish electoral system be strengthened so that general elections can be reliably conducted. Uniform incident reporting for electoral authorities and election boards is a direct means for this, especially since the plan wants to prevent fraud and systems that invite fraud. That all public power emanates from the people makes the legitimacy of elections a central issue.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att det svenska valsystemet stärks så att allmänna val garanterat kan genomföras på ett tillförlitligt sätt. En enhetlig incidentrapportering för valmyndigheter och valnämnder är ett direkt medel för det, särskilt eftersom planen vill motverka fusk och system som lockar till fusk. Att all offentlig makt utgår från folket gör valens legitimitet till en central fråga.
- reliable electionsdecisive»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.”
- prevent fraud»Både fusk och sådana system som tenderar att locka till fusk och korruption ska motverkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Both fraud and systems that tend to invite fraud and corruption should be prevented.”
- popular sovereignty as foundational principle»Att all offentlig makt i Sverige skall utgå från folket« (party programme ↗)“That all public power in Sweden shall emanate from the people”
- free and secret elections»rösträtt i fria och hemliga val« (party programme ↗)“voting rights in free and secret elections”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU23)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU23)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1041 — Åtgärder för en starkare geografisk representation i riksdagen av Kalle Olsson och Anna-Caren Sätherberg (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1073 — Likformig bedömning av personröster av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1357 — Förtydligande av vallagen av Joakim Sandell (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1450 — Opinionsundersökning nära val av Adnan Dibrani (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1619 — Fler valsedelsbås i vallokalerna av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2022/23:181 — Stärk demokratin och de mänskliga rättigheterna av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1843 — Skaraborgs valkrets av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1881 — Konstitutionella frågor av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1911 — Stockholm - möjligheternas storstadsregion av Malin Danielsson m.fl. (L)
- Motion 2022/23:2116 — Rösträtt och valbarhet i allmänna val bör kopplas till medborgarskap av Boriana Åberg m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:2141 — Svenskar i utlandet av Markus Wiechel och Lars Andersson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2234 — Synskadade och valsystemet av Eric Palmqvist (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:301 — Skilda valdagar för en bättre lokal demokrati av Stefan Olsson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:44 — Utlandssvenskarnas möjligheter att delta i val av Hans Wallmark (M)
- Motion 2022/23:45 — Stärkande av utlandssvenskarnas ställning av Hans Wallmark (M)
- Motion 2022/23:648 — Det svenska valsystemet av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2022/23:707 — Skilda valdagar av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:723 — Avskaffade spärrar för personval av Robert Hannah (L)
- Motion 2022/23:75 — Överväg digitalt valdeltagande av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
Source: The Swedish Parliament