Elections and voting
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Municipal elections and county elections
County and municipal elections will be held at the same time on Sunday 13.4.2025. By voting, you can influence who decides on the important issues that affect everyone’s daily life for the next four years.
- County elections elect representatives to the regional councils responsible for organizing social and health services and rescue services in the welfare regions.
- Municipal elections elect representatives to municipal councils, which decide on the municipality’s activities and finances.
The actual election day is Sunday 13.4.2025. Advance voting will be held in Finland on 2-8.4.2025 and abroad on 2-5.4.2025.
The municipal elections are used for electing representatives to municipal councils. These representatives have the highest decision-making powers in the municipalities for a period of four years. The number of members elected in a municipality depends on the population of the municipality. Kuopio City Council has 59 members. According to the Municipalities Act, the number of representatives is decided by the municipal council, and in municipalities with between 100 001 and 250 000 inhabitants, the minimum number of representatives is 59.
The same elections are also used to elect the county council’s decision-makers.
County and municipal elections are held every four years.
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If you have Finnish citizenship
All Finnish citizens over the age of 18 can vote in elections.
If you have non-Finnish citizenship
You can vote if you have officially resided in Finland for at least 2 years. The 2 years are counted 51 days before the election day.
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- Always go to the polling booth alone
- Do not take photos at the polling station or of your ballot paper
- No need to take the letter sent to you by post when you go vote. A photo ID, such as a passport or driver`s licence, is enough.
- You don`t have to tell anyone who you will vote or have voted for. Nobody is allowed to pressure you to vote a particular person.
- Write only you candidate`s number on the ballot paper, nothing else.
- You can`t vote online in Finland. Another person can`t vote for you.
County and municipal elections (vaalit.fi) information in different languages
Parliamentary elections
Parliament is Finland’s highest government body. It exercises legislative powers and also decides on government finances.
Members of Parliament are elected by election every four years. The election day is the third Sunday of April in the election year. Every Finnish citizen who has reached the age of 18 not later than on the day of the election is entitled to vote in parliamentary elections.
The next parliamentary elections will be in 2027. The election day for the parliamentary elections is Sunday 18.4.2027
Read more about the Parliamentary elections
European elections
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected by citizens of the EU Member States in the European elections.
The next elections will take place in 2029. European elections will be organized by each Member State in accordance with its national law.
Read more about the European elections
Presidential elections
The President of the Republic is one of the highest government bodies in Finland with the Parliament and the Government. The president’s tasks are mainly related to foreign policy.
According to section 54 of the Finnish Constitution, the President of the Republic is elected by a direct vote for a term of six years. The President shall be a native-born Finnish citizen. The same person may be elected President for no more than two consecutive terms of office.
The President is elected by a direct vote, if necessary in two rounds.
The next presidential election will be held on Sunday 27 January 2030.