Stockholm city files police report over alleged voting irregularities in Järva
Stockholm's municipal authorities have lodged a police complaint after a newspaper column alleged ballot-stuffing, clan voting and phone instructions in the Järva district.
Peter Wennblad's editorial, based on interviews with poll workers and documents from the election authority, describes what he calls chaotic voting practices in Stockholm's Järva area, including alleged clan voting, pre-vote ballots and phone-based voting directions. He attributes the situation to the Left Party, naming newly elected MP Ilyas Hassan as a target of coordinated votes. Eva Debels, chief clerk of the Stockholm election board, said the municipality has submitted a police report to investigate the newspaper's claims.
The report will assess whether the reported actions constitute criminal offences. The Left Party's secretary Maria Forsberg dismissed the accusations as unfounded and harmful to democracy. The city emphasizes that the police, not the election board, will handle the matter.
Why it matters
The complaint could trigger a criminal probe into alleged election fraud in Sweden's capital.
How this story developed
- Sep 21 Police probe alleged vote-rigging involving pre-marked ballots for Vänsterpartiet candidate in Borlänge
- Sep 22 Party spokesperson Antonio de la Cruz said the party would not comment on the investigation.
- Sep 24 Ali has paused his parliamentary duties pending the outcome of the fraud investigation.
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