Nevada City Calif. –Nevada County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Armando Salud-Ambriz was selected as one of only two U.S. representatives to participate in the first-ever accredited international panel observing Sweden’s Sept. 13 election.
Salud-Ambriz was among 18 participants selected from 40 applicants representing different nations to participate in the 2026 Sweden Election Workshop organized by Electio Lab and Transparencia Electoral.
During the program Sept. 7-13, Salud-Ambriz participated in briefings and meetings with organizations including the Swedish Election Authority and Swedish Parliament. On Election Day, he observed the opening of a polling station and voting operations at five additional locations in Stockholm.
Salud-Ambriz was thrilled to attend this experience and to learn how an international election compares to not just elections in the United States but specifically to California elections. It led to some interesting discoveries.
“One interesting discovery I learned, is that Sweden allows individuals to ‘regret their vote,’” he said. “What does this mean? If you voted during the early voting period, which is 18 days before the election, and a political scandal occurs (or you just changed your mind), you have the option to regret your vote and cast a new one on Election Day, tossing your previous vote.”
He also appreciated to see that election administrators all over the world have much of the same goals: administer the law impartially, protect every eligible voter’s opportunity to participate, account for every valid ballot, explain the process transparently, continuously improve the operation and above all create trust in the process. Other nations that were invited to participate included Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Jamaica, South Africa, Spain among others.
“I am grateful to the selection committee for the opportunity to represent the United States and California, but most importantly Nevada County in this first cohort operating under Sweden’s new observer-accreditation framework,” Salud-Ambriz wrote in his report for the workshop. “I returned with a stronger international network and, more importantly, a renewed appreciation that election administration is a global profession.”