Exit polls (SVT/VALU)
Since 1991, the Swedish National Election Studies have joined efforts with The Royal Institute of Technology and public service television channel SVT to conduct exit polls at national elections and referendums.
The series of 17 SVT exit polls 1991-2022 is unique in its scope, rigor, accuracy and cross-time comparability. Paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaires covering around 50 questions have been distributed at strategically selected absentee voting facilities and Election Day polling stations. After the polls have closed at 20:00, the results from the exit polls are reported to the public in SVTs election night coverage. Updates of key indicators of voting behavior is invaluable to the analyses of the election outcome. The vivid post election analyses are disciplined by the instant access to reliable results on how different voter groups voted and what issues were important for their party choice.
Since its inception, SVT/VALU has been a collaboration between Sveriges Television, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Swedish National Election Studies Program at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg. A large number of people have contributed to the work on the exit polls. Hans Hernborn (SVT), Per Näsman (KTH) and Sören Holmberg (GU) have had the leading roles in the collaboration over the years. In connection with the 2022 parliamentary elections, the 17th exit poll was conducted. All data from SVT/VALU is made freely available at the Swedish National Data Service as soon as possible after each election.
