Swedish Election Results May Have Been Rigged
Swedish authorities are currently investigating alleged election fraud following a complaint filed after the parliamentary elections held in Sweden on September 13. A Left Party candidate is accused, among other things, of paying people to mark his name on the ballot.
The alleged offense reportedly took place in the town of Borlänge, in the Dalarna constituency of central Sweden, and a special unit within the Swedish Prosecution Authority that investigates corruption cases has now taken up the matter.
According to reports by Aftonbladet, the investigation centers on Left Party candidate Mohamed Abdukardir Ali and the circumstances of his election to parliament. There is no information indicating whether Ali himself is suspected of a crime, but the newspaper reports that an individual was seen handing voters pre-filled ballots with Ali’s name already marked.
Can Bring a Ballot to the Polling Station
The Swedish electoral system is distinctive in that voters can mark a specific candidate on the ballot; that candidate can then move up the list if they receive a sufficient number of votes. This is precisely what happened with Ali, who was seventh on the Left Party’s list but nevertheless secured a parliamentary seat.
It is extremely rare for candidates placed so low on a list to rise as high as Ali did.
Another distinctive feature of the Swedish system is that parties print and distribute their own ballots, which voters can bring with them to the polling station. Voters can also choose from available ballots at the polling station.
It is not known whether any questioning has taken place regarding the complaint, but according to Aftonbladet, there is photographic evidence showing the individual in question withdrawing cash from an ATM and handing it to people, along with a pre-marked ballot selecting Ali.
Strongly Denies Any Wrongdoing
Ali himself denies all the allegations.
“This is absolutely, completely wrong. I did not do this, and I know the law. I have enjoyed the trust of every single constituency in Dalarna, and this is not something I would do. This is a serious violation of Swedish law,” Ali said in an interview with the Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
He states that he has not spoken to the police and has not received formal notification that he is under suspicion.
Prosecutor Oscar Edvardsson confirms to SVT that a complaint has been received but otherwise declines to comment on the details of the case. “I cannot really say anything about what the case concerns or whether anyone is suspected. This is due to the interests of the investigation and the fact that the investigation is in its early stages”—though the complaint reached the prosecutor’s office on September 1, nearly two weeks before election day.
The case was initially dropped due to a lack of evidence but was reopened on Monday after new information came to light.
Representatives of the Left Party have not yet commented on the matter, but according to Aftonbladet, more than 200,000 Swedes might have to vote again if the investigation reveals fraud.
Source: Vísir (in Icelandic)