Debate on electoral fraud: Differences between Swedish and Finnish electoral systems

He also considers whether the suspicions could lead to distrust of the entire electoral system.

The elections in Finland and Sweden work in different ways. Jääskeläinen still sees no reason to criticize the Swedish model, which according to him has worked well for a long time.

In Finland, the ballot is handled under supervision

The type of election fraud that is now suspected in Sweden would not be possible in Finland, according to Jääskeläinen. There, ballot papers are only available in the polling stations - never outside them.

A voter receives his ballot only after the right to vote has been checked. The voter then goes to the polling booth and then casts his vote in the ballot box under the supervision of an election official.

- The ballot paper is therefore in the hands of the voter only for a short time, and only with the voter himself.

Parties hand out ballot papers in Sweden

In Sweden, the parties themselves print ballot papers with the candidates' names and deliver them to the polling stations. The parties also distribute ballot papers outside the polling stations, and they can also be sent home together with election advertising.

The electoral authorities are responsible for ballots with only the party name, as well as for blank ballots where the voter himself enters party and candidate names.

In the current suspicion of election fraud, ballot papers for the Left Party are said to have been distributed in the suburbs. On them, a certain candidate's name must have already been ticked. Voters must also have a shuttle to the polling stations. According to some information, voters must also have received money.

There are also suspicions of election fraud in Finland

All electoral systems have their vulnerabilities. There have also been suspicions of election fraud in Finland, but according to Jääskeläinen it is unusual.

The cases that have gone to court have been about bribes to voters. The benefit offered has then been judged to be so significant that it met the criteria for an election outbreak according to Finnish law.

Flaws in the Swedish handling of ballot papers have been noticed before. A committee is reviewing possible reforms and has been given more time for its work, until next year. Now, among other things, Swedish election authorities have demanded that changes be implemented quickly.