Local elections were held in Sweden on 13 September 2026 to elect the 21 regional councils and 290 municipal councils. These elections occurred concurrently with the general election.
Background Local government in Sweden is divided into two levels of democratic representation: the regional level and the municipal level. Both levels are governed by the Local Government Act (Kommunallagen) adopted in 1991. Regions and municipalities do not hold legislative powers; nonetheless, they do have executive powers in taxation (including the right to levy income taxes), and administration at their respective levels.
The 2026 elections follow the 2022 elections, which saw a shift toward right-wing and center-right coalitions in several major regions, while the Social Democrats remained the dominant party in the northern parts of the country. Key issues for the 2026 cycle are expected to include healthcare accessibility, regional public transport, and the economic integration of rural municipalities.
Electoral system Sweden uses a proportional representation system for all local elections. To vote in local elections, a person must be at least 18 years old. Unlike national elections, non-Swedish citizens can vote if they are EU citizens or if they have been registered residents in Sweden for at least three consecutive years. Seats are allocated using the Modified Sainte-Laguë method. A statutory threshold of 3% applies to regional council elections, while municipal elections have a threshold of either 2% or 3%, depending on the size of the electoral district.
Regional councils Regional councils are responsible for healthcare, public transport, culture, and regional development. The political leadership of a region is headed by the Chair of the Regional Board (Regionstyrelsens ordförande), who is elected by each regional council via majority. The regional councils have a combined total of 1,720 seats.
ISOCountyRegional CouncilIncumbent Chair of the Regional BoardElected ChairNamePartyNamePaty AB StockholmRegion StockholmAida HadžialićS C UppsalaRegion UppsalaHelena Proos S D SödermanlandRegion SörmlandChristoffer ÖqvistM E ÖstergötlandRegion ÖstergötlandMarie Morell M F JönköpingRegion Jönköping CountyRachel De BassoS G KronobergRegion KronobergMikael JohanssonM H KalmarRegion Kalmar CountyAngelica KatsanidouS I GotlandRegion GotlandMeit FohlinS K BlekingeRegion BlekingeRobert LindénSD M SkåneRegion SkåneCarl Johan SonessonM N HallandRegion HallandMikaela WalterssonM O Västra GötalandRegion Västra GötalandHelén EliassonS S VärmlandRegion VärmlandÅsa JohanssonS T ÖrebroRegion Örebro CountyAndreas Svahn S U VästmanlandRegion VästmanlandMikael Andersson ElfgrenM W DalarnaRegion DalarnaElin NorénS X GävleborgRegion GävleborgPatrik StenvardM Y VästernorrlandRegion VästernorrlandGlenn NordlundS Z JämtlandRegion Jämtland HärjedalenBengt BergqvistS AC VästerbottenRegion VästerbottenPeter OlofssonS BD NorrbottenRegion NorrbottenAnders ÖbergS
Municipal councils The 290 municipal councils represent the most local level of government, responsible for local roads, schools, social services, urban planning, waste management and environmental protection. These elections will determine the distribution of approximately 12,536 seats nationwide. Following the elections, the new municipal councils will appoint municipal executive committees ().
Referendums
Four municipalities will hold referendums simultaneously with the municipal elections.
Ljungby Municipality In Ljungby Municipality, the following question was asked:
Leksand Municipality In Leksand Municipality, the following question was asked:
Voters could choose one of the following options:
Mark Municipality In Mark Municipality, the following question was asked:
Tierp Municipality In Tierp Municipality, the following question was asked:
Voters could choose one of the following options:
References