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Polling stations opened across Sweden on Sunday for a closely contested general election that could see the far right enter government for the first time or return the left-wing opposition to power.
The election pits Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s four-party conservative alliance, which includes the far-right Sweden Democrats, against a four-party left-wing bloc led by opposition leader Magdalena Andersson.
The left-wing parties had maintained a comfortable lead in opinion polls for much of the campaign, but that advantage narrowed sharply in the final days, with the two blocs entering election day effectively level.
The leader of the opposition, Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, has pledged to strengthen Sweden’s welfare state and ease the pressure of rising living costs on struggling households if the left-wing bloc secures a majority.
The Social Democrats governed Sweden for much of the 20th century.
Outgoing conservative Prime Minister Kristersson, meanwhile, has said his focus would shift towards improving Swedes’ everyday lives, arguing that his government’s measures against organised crime and immigration had achieved their intended results.
The Prime Minister has governed with support from the far-right Sweden Democrats for the past four years. He has also promised the anti-immigration party positions in government for the first time if the right-wing bloc wins the election.
Polling stations are scheduled to close at 8:00 pm local time, when exit polls are expected to be released. The first results are expected several hours after voting ends.
