Study title

This exit poll survey (VALU) was carried out in connection with the parliamentary election on September 20 1998. Earlier exit poll surveys has been carried out in connection with the parliamentary elections in 1991 and 1994, the referendum on Swedish membership of the European Union in 1994 and the first Swedish election to the European Parliament in 1995. Voters leaving the polling stations were asked to fill in a questionnaire including questions on: party voted for in the general and local elections; time for decision how to vote; party voted for in the general election 1994; vote intention if there were a referendum on Swedish EMU-membership; placement on a political left-right scale; confidence in Swedish politicians; gender, age, occupational group, union membership and church attendance. The respondents also had to indicate how important a number of items were for the decision how to vote, and to give an opinion on the policy of the different political parties. In VALU, Sweden (constituencies) is divided into geographical regions grouped around major university cities. In each of the regions, a university teacher is engaged as regional survey leader. The survey leaders act as supervisors for the field agents who carry out the survey in the polling stations and early voting stations respectively. All survey leaders have knowledge of statistical methodology.