The story of two young sisters making political history: every vote counts!

This is a story I love to tell, and it’s been especially appreciated in the US. But I actually told it to my hairdresser just yesterday and her jaws dropped too. So here it is, the story about two votes making a mark in the political history.

My first time voting I was 20 and my sister 18. We had moved to Umeå but were still citizens of Nordmaling, our childhood small town. So our first time voting was in Nordmaling.

I remember us standing at the local post office, above the bakery where are dad was a pastry chef. At that time in life we weren’t overly politicly engaged. We knew our parents voted for a party in the middle, what’s now the Liberal Party. So why not? Our votes for the Swedish Parliament fell where our parents were at.

Now, who would we like to run Nordmaling? Well, we had moved away and at least I didn’t really care that much. We looked at each other and got this idea. How about going a bit wild and crazy? What if we would lay our vote on the Left Party?! Which at that time still had the word Communist in the title. I can still feel the excitement sisters sharing this moment of a giggle. Said and done!

When the votes were counted the result was clear. The Left Party had it’s first seat in the Nordmaling City Council. By two votes! And it’s still there.

I am posting my blog early this week because the General Swedish Election happens on Sunday. I am deeply concerned. I am extremely worried. 

The Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) is a nationalistic and social conservative party with roots in the nazi and alt right movements. It’s racist and xenophobic. And the support for it’s politics is growing rapidly.

At the 2010 election they won their first seats in the Swedish Parliament by 5,7%. In 2014 they had 12,9 % of the vote. And the prognoses August 30 2018 predicts 18,2 %.

This scares the hell out of me and many more. And as for the elections before, they have done much better in the actual election then in the prognoses.

To every Swede out there - and Americans in the Primaries and later Mid Terms - who feel your voice doesn’t make a difference: you are wrong! You couldn’t be more wrong! Every vote counts! Every single vote counts! Because every vote is counted, and when they are all put together they become the future! You can and have the right to decide the future! For yourself and your society!

Just as two young women decided the future of the political landscape in Nordmaling. Two young votes making history. Go vote! Go vote please! Go vote goddamn it!