Record high awareness of church elections

According to a survey conducted by Verian, 96 percent of the public and 99 percent of the Church of Sweden’s members knew that the church elections were taking place – a major increase compared to the survey in early August, when the figures were 34 percent and 38 percent respectively.

The Church of Sweden’s communication target was to attain 96 percent awareness among all eligible voters. This was achieved through a broad and coordinated communication effort of which the church election campaign formed a crucial part.

“The sum of all the initiatives made a difference,” says Pia Dahlén, Head of Communications at the Church of Sweden. “Apart from the campaign, parishes, dioceses, bishops, elected representatives and active efforts in the press all over Sweden helped put the church elections on the agenda.”

Social media attention combined with news coverage, letters to the editor and opinion pieces in both the local and national press also played a role in raising awareness.

High visibility among young people

The church election campaign itself reached a wide audience with its message of “Voting for a Brighter Future”. One in three members of the public and 38 percent of church members say they saw the campaign. Visibility was particularly high among young people (aged 16–23), with 39 percent having seen the campaign. The public space, YouTube and TikTok were the most important channels for younger audiences.

The message about voting for fellowship and hope was heard. Fifty-seven percent found the message easy to understand, and among those who had seen the campaign previously, the percentage was even higher (65 percent). Words describing values such as ‘topical’, ‘credible’ and ‘emotive’ were often used to describe the campaign. Among young people, the word ‘engaging’ particularly stands out.

Democracy key reason to vote

The campaign also seems to have influenced behaviour. Among church members who saw the campaign, 59 percent say they voted, compared to 39 percent among those who did not. However, the actual turnout was 18.84 per cent, which shows that self-reported figures are higher than those in reality.

“I think the figures reflect how important people think it is to vote in democratic elections,” says Pia Dahlén. “They simply want to be the kind of person who votes.”

The main reasons for voting were to safeguard democratic rights and the fact that the Church of Sweden plays an important role in society. Among those who did not vote, a lack of interest and scant knowledge of the elections were the most common reasons.

The 2025 church elections show that targeted communication, combined with local engagement and a strong presence in traditional and social media, can make a big difference to awareness.