It is one of the hottest days of late summer and the Perstorp residents prefer to stay in the shade. On the square, the parties have got their polling booths, tents and banners in place, but interest is scant. A few children beg M-labeled candies from the moderates, that’s all.
Some distance away, Sabina Magnusson hurries towards the train. She has voted before, but this year she is unsure. She works in elderly care and politics has disappointed her.
– They promised to make it better with working hours and so on, but nothing has happened. It feels pointless.
The election workers work against the wind in Perstorp. The municipality is among the ten municipalities with the lowest turnout.
“Socio-economically vulnerable municipality”
A group of social democrats brave the heat and go out to knock on doors. The local election general Veronicha Pettersson has been involved in many elections. She sees a main explanation for the low interest in getting to the polls.
– We are a socioeconomically vulnerable municipality. Many can’t bear to do anything but try to get by. You can’t bear to care about anything but yourself and your family.
Perstorp is a municipality burdened with problems. Unemployment is high, incomes are low and the percentage of dependents on benefits is the highest in the country. But there are many explanations for the low voter turnout.
– I don’t vote, says Flaotrana Konjusha, the mother of small children. There is no time to keep track of what everyone promises. When the children grow up, I will try to vote. It’s important, really.
SD focuses on “New Swedes”
In the square, the election workers of the Left Party and the Sweden Democrats have begun to discuss the low voter turnout and on this issue they are in complete agreement.
– An important group to reach are our new Swedes. They are very little involved in politics, says leftist Eje Bengtsson. Sweden Democrat Ingvar Dehlin nods in agreement and says that voting is an important part of integration.
– Regardless of whether they vote for the Green Party – which I hope not – it is important that they enter society that way,
In the bowling alley, Mikael Nilsson follows his son’s training. He himself says that he is one of those who contributed to Perstorp’s low voter turnout. For 20 years he ignored voting because it felt pointless – but he changed his mind when a local party appeared.
– I thought they had a good investment in school and leisure.