Decisions on items of parliamentary business
The members of the Riksdag take thousands of decisions in the Chamber each year. Normally when a vote is held there are over 300 members present in the Chamber. The matters about which the Riksdag is to take a decision are usually based on proposals from the Government (government bills) or from members of the Riksdag (private members' motions). They are considered by a parliamentary committee before a debate and decision are held in the Chamber.
A decision on a particular item of parliamentary business is taken once the members of the Riksdag have finished debating the item. A decision is normally taken on a fixed separate date, but in exceptional cases, a vote can be taken directly after a debate. Matters are either determined without a vote, by acclamation (see below), or by means of a vote using the voting buttons.
Voting signal
Every time a vote is to be taken, a signal can be heard throughout the Riksdag. The members of the Riksdag then have ten minutes to reach the Chamber. Once they have taken their seats, it is time to take a decision about the matters that have been debated since the last vote was held.
Acclamation
When it is time for the Chamber to take a decision on a particular matter, the Speaker asks whether the Chamber is in favour of the Committee’s proposal for a decision. If no member of the Riksdag opposes the proposal, the Speaker establishes that the answer is yes and confirms the decision with a strike of the gavel. This method of taking a decision is known as decision by acclamation. The word acclamation comes from the Latin verb acclamare which means to meet with approval.
A vote is held
If a member of the Riksdag wants the Chamber to vote on a matter he or she can demand that a vote be held. The procedure starts with the clerk of the Chamber reading the proposal on which the vote is to be held to the Chamber. The members then know whether to vote yes or no, depending on whether they want the proposal of the committee majority or the counter-proposal to win.
Most items of parliamentary business are divided into several sub-proposals. If the Chamber does not agree on several sub-proposals, several votes may be requested on one and the same item of parliamentary business.
Decisions are made in the Chamber. A vote is conducted by the members pressing a voting button on their benches. There are three buttons to choose from: green for "Yes", red for "No" and yellow for "Abstain".
During votes, the members press a voting button on their benches. There are three buttons to choose from: green for "Yes", red for "No" and yellow for "Abstain". The result of the vote is displayed on the screen and display board on the wall behind the rostrum.
If the vote, for some reason, cannot be conducted by using the voting buttons, it is held by means of a call of names.
Several proposals
Sometimes during a debate on an item of parliamentary business, the members express support for several proposals on one and the same matter. In such cases the Chamber can determine which two proposals will go to a final vote by means of preparatory votes. This means that the members vote for two proposals at a time until there is just one proposal left that can be set against the proposal of the committee majority.
How have the members voted?
Information about how each member has voted and which members have been absent can be read after a vote has been held in special lists known as voting records. The voting records are available in Swedish on the Riksdag website.
What happens after a decision has been taken?
After a decision has been taken, the Riksdag sends a written communication to the Government to inform it of its decision. It is the Government’s task to ensure that the decision is implemented in the way intended by the Riksdag. The communication from the Riksdag takes the form of a brief message stating the Riksdag's position on the committee's proposal. To find out what the decision was about, you have to read the relevant committee report.
From speech to text
The official reporters of the parliamentary record edit the members’ speeches to create a written record. Just a few hours after a debate, it is possible to read what has been said in the preliminary record on the Riksdag website. Here you can also see how the parties have voted on different matters. The final record is approved by the Chamber within three weeks.