Sweden's national election too close to call

Sweden's national election was too close to call early Monday, with preliminary results giving the left-wing opposition a razor-thin one-seat advantage over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing coalition and days of uncertainty until the final ballots are counted.

Preliminary results showed a very narrow lead for the opposition and former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's bid to return to office at the head of the left coalition. Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson told supporters that they would not know that night which side would form the next government, but urged them to celebrate the performance of their team.

With 92% of the vote counted early Monday, the Swedish Election Authority reported the four opposition parties were heading for 175 seats in the 349-seat parliament to 174 seats for the government alliance.

The outcome of the election may not be decided until Wednesday, when local election boards count early votes that did not make it to the polling stations by Election Day. This includes, among other things, overseas votes.

Kristersson has led Sweden since 2022 with a three-party center-right coalition. It relied on outside support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party that has far-right roots but has moved toward the political mainstream, for a parliamentary majority. The Sweden Democrats had been promised Cabinet posts this time if the governing coalition were returned to office.