News | 10 September 2026
Democracy in Action: IES Hässelby Students Take to the Polls in Skolval
Last week, our senior school students in grades 7–9 stepped into the roles of active citizens as IES Hässelby hosted Skolval. Designed to mirror a real Swedish national election (riksdagsval), this simulated election gave our young voters hands-on experience with the democratic process, ballot procedures, and political decision-making.
Learning Democracy by Doing It
Skolval is a national initiative organized for upper primary and secondary school students across Sweden. Its primary goal is to impart practical knowledge about how the Swedish electoral system functions and to strengthen democratic engagement among youth. Students cast their votes using official procedures, marking party ballots in private polling booths. While these votes run in a separate system from the official parliamentary elections, they provide powerful insights into student perspectives across the nation.
A Resounding Success
The atmosphere throughout the day was electric, thoughtful, and deeply impressive. Our 7–9 students approached the voting process with seriousness, maturity, and genuine curiosity.
Reflecting on the event, Principal Ms. Bertsdotter shared her enthusiasm for the students' engagement:
"It has been great to watch them all vote!"
This initiative would not have been possible without the dedication of our incredible team:
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Ms. Almström Ålander – Our SO teacher who organized, planned, and led the event from start to finish. Her hard work ensured the day ran smoothly and left a lasting educational impact on our students.
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Ms. Åslander – Our SO teacher who worked tirelessly throughout the day, guiding students and supporting the voting booths.
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Ms. Bertsdotter – Our Principal, whose presence, continuous support, and encouragement throughout the event helped make the day a complete success.
A heartfelt thank you goes to these staff members for creating such an inspiring learning environment for our school community.
What’s Next?
The votes have been safely collected and tallied in the official Skolval system. The official results for IES Hässelby will be released to all staff and students on September 14th. Stay tuned to see how our senior school voted!