Key facts
- Swedish prosecutors are investigating possible election fraud in Borlange, Dalarna county.
- The investigation could lead to a re-run of the vote in Dalarna, potentially affecting 11 parliamentary seats.
- The probe reportedly focuses on allegations of pre-marked ballots concerning a Left Party candidate.
- A re-run of a parliamentary election would be unprecedented in Sweden.
- In the September 13 election, the center-left opposition won 176 seats to 173 for the right-wing bloc nationally.
- In Dalarna, the center-left bloc won six seats and the right-wing bloc won five.
STOCKHOLM, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors are investigating potential election fraud in Borlange, a town in Dalarna county, that could lead to a re-run of the vote and put 11 parliamentary seats in play. The probe, which reopened this week due to new information, reportedly centers on allegations of pre-marked ballots related to a Left Party candidate, Mohamed Abdukardir Ali.
Prosecutor Oskar Edvardsson stated that the preliminary investigation, opened on September 1, is at an early stage with no suspects identified. Ali has denied the allegations, telling Swedish TV they were "completely, completely wrong."
Sweden's Election Review Board has the authority to order a re-run or recount if it deems the result suspect. Such an event would be unprecedented for a Swedish parliamentary election. Niklas Bolin, a professor of political science at Mid Sweden University, described a re-run as a "blank slate" but suggested it was unlikely to change the national balance between the two main political blocs, though a different result is possible.
In the September 13 election, the center-left opposition narrowly defeated the incumbent right-wing government, securing 176 seats compared to 173. In Dalarna county specifically, the center-left bloc won six seats and the right-wing bloc secured five.