General elections in Sweden: Voters go to the polls

In Sweden, voters vote to elect 21 regional assemblies and 290 municipal council members, as well as the 349-seat parliament (Riksdag).

The voting process starts at 09.00 GMT and will continue until 21.00.

The first unofficial results are expected to be announced before midnight.

In the statement made by the Swedish Electoral Board (Valmyndigheten), it was stated that more than 3.5 million voters cast their votes within the scope of early voting, which was launched on August 26 in order to prevent crowding on election day.

The percentages of the left and right blocs are quite close in the polls.

According to the latest surveys conducted before the election in Sweden, it is stated that the centre-left bloc formed by the opposition Social Democrats, Center Party (Centerpartiet), Green Party and Left Party (Vansterpartiet) ranked first with 50.8 percent of the votes.

It is stated that the voting rate of the ruling right-wing bloc parties, the Moderate Conservative Party, Christian Democrats, Liberals and the Sweden Democrats, which supports the current government from outside, is 47.6 percent.

According to the survey results, comments are made that the election will be a "head-to-head" fight between the left and right blocs.

The analysis also evaluates that it will be possible for the Sweden Democrats, who are not officially involved in the current government, to directly participate in the government for the first time after today's election.