With anti-immigration rhetoric and mistrust of the social system, the Örebro Party has taken a seat in the municipal council and regional council in Örebro. When party leader Markus Allard is now campaigning to reach the Riksdag, on election day he accuses officials in several polling stations of sabotage.
In a Facebook post with the headline: "VALSABOTAGE HITTILLS" the Örebro Party names five polling stations in Örebro County. The party accuses election officials of not posting the Örebro Party's ballots, of "delaying" the posting and of being "unpleasant".
- The word sabotage presupposes that there is an intention. Of course mistakes can be made, but then they are corrected, says Johan Hellsten, election coordinator in Örebro.
One of the polling stations singled out by the Örebro Party is Adolfsberg östra. When DN meets the chairman of the polling station, Åsa Enkvist Lenander, a few hours after Markus Allard's inspection, she says that the accusation is incorrect.
- We have not prevented or delayed. We put out the Örebro Party's ballots as soon as we could.
The leader of the Örebro Party, who is also both a municipal councilor and regional councilor in Örebro, entered the polling station with the attitude that he "wanted to find something wrong in the whole thing", according to Åsa Enkvist Lenander.
- He came here at 8.33 this morning. I know that because I wrote it up as an incident. He was so upset. He didn't bother to listen. I don't even know if he heard what we said.
"Adolfsberg östra - Election officials simply chose not to put out our ballots for either Riksdag, municipality or region," Örebropartiet writes in a Facebook post after the visit.
Åsa Enkvist Lenander tells us that shortly after the polling station opened, Markus Allard personally brought the Örebro Party's ballots and wanted to get them out in the polling booths.
- Then it was almost empty here, but an elderly man was standing in a voting booth. Markus Allard was so stressed, and ran over with his ballot papers to the polling station next door: Adolfsberg västra.
When Markus Allard returned to Åsa Enkvist Lenander's polling station shortly afterwards, she and her election official colleagues had placed the Örebro Party's ballots in the other polling booths.
- The older man had just left his polling booth. We were just going to put out the Örebro Party's ballot papers in the polling booth where the man had been standing - my colleague was holding them. Then Markus Allard ran in and said: You haven't posted them!
Åsa Enkvist Lenander says she tried to explain to Markus Allard that officials cannot disturb voters when they are standing in the voting booth.
- But it was not possible to talk to Markus Allard. He accused us of election sabotage and said he would report us.
What do you think about being accused like this?
- I think that... Markus Allard is destroying our democracy. When he sows this mischief. Being accused of election sabotage is serious. Personally, I would like to receive an apology from him, says Åsa Enkvist Lenander.
The Örebro Party's accusations of election sabotage quickly receive thousands of thumbs up and hundreds of re-shares on social media. Åsa Enkvist Lenander thinks it is "extremely dangerous".
- There are so many young people who only look at what is on the internet. We in the polling station have been very upset about this.
Åsa Enkvist Lenander has served as election administrator for 20 years, she says, and has "never experienced anything like this".
- Markus Allard is trying to create unrest in democracy. He questions democracy when he questions us.
Is democracy not allowed to be questioned?
- That's clear. But you also have to listen. After all, we have received training in how to deal with upset people: By maintaining a friendly tone. And we succeeded in that, none of us acted with a hint of heat or anger in our voices. We were just trying to be matter-of-fact: Here it is.
Even the polling station next door, Adolfsberg västra, is accused by the Örebro Party of having sabotaged the voting: "Adolfsberg västra - delaying the distribution of ballots", writes the party.
The chairman of that polling station is called Anna-Karin Andersson. She also refutes the Örebro Party's accusation:
- There was really no procrastination. We stopped the queue and posted their ballots in all the booths as soon as we could, says Anna-Karin Andersson.
When DN asks to meet Örebro Party leader Markus Allard, he writes that he "absolutely has no time with you now". As a comment on election administrator Åsa Enkvist Lenander's outrage and desire for an apology, Markus Allard writes that "she should stop sabotaging the election!".
Johan Hellsten, election coordinator responsible for voting in Örebro, says that "offensive methods" like the Örebro Party's make him worried about the future:
- I can get a little scared that they scare away all good citizens who want to stand up for democracy, quite simply.
