Postal Votes Can Tip Swedish Election Results

The Swedish parliamentary elections have chosen the Alliance to form a minority government last Sunday.
Postal Votes Can Tip Swedish Election Results
9/22/2010
Updated:
9/22/2010
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he Swedish parliamentary elections have chosen the Alliance to form a minority government last Sunday Sept. 19, but more than 100,000 votes posted by citizens living abroad have not been counted yet. The final count can tip the result to the favor of the Alliance.

The Alliance is currently a coalition of moderates, liberals, Christian democrats, and the center party. It has accumulated about 49 percent of the votes. Just a few thousand postal votes in their favor, can give them the mandate to rule for another four years with an absolute majority government.

The significance of the postal votes has another effect on the balance of power in the Swedish Parliament. The Swedish Democrats, a racist party that exploits the anti-immigrant elements in Sweden, succeeded, for the first time, in being elected into Parliament. Without a majority government, Swedish Democrats will play the role of balancing the power between the ruling Alliance and the other political block consisting of social-democrats, greens, and leftists.