Ordinary general elections to the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, are held every four years. The next elections are scheduled for 19 September 2010. All Swedish citizens who have reached the age of 18 by election day and who are or have been resident in Sweden are entitled to vote.
Most people vote on the actual election day - the third Sunday in September - at a polling station. Each municipality decides which venues are to be open for advance voting.
Most expatriate Swedes are also entitled to vote at a Swedish embassy or by post.
In connection with general elections a number of special polling stations are set up for people who cannot get to a regular polling station to vote on election day. These special polling stations are open in the run-up to the elections, at hospitals, in old-people's homes and in prisons.
The electorate vote for parties but can also cast personalised votes by marking the name of a particular candidate on the voting slip. Personalised voting is voluntary.
By using a personalised vote, the voter can affect the choice of candidates to represent the party voted for. Only one name can be marked in this way by each voter.
The main rule is for each individual to cast his vote personally, but voting by proxy is permitted. Old, sick or disabled persons may vote through the agency of a relative or carer. It is also possible to vote through the agency of a spouse, common-law husband or wife or other close relative.