Ballot papers for the regional and municipal elections. LEHTIKUVA
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Advance voting for Finland’s municipal and county elections begins on 2 April, with nearly 1,000 polling stations open across the country.
In addition to traditional voting sites such as town halls, libraries and shopping centres, ballots can this year be cast in venues ranging from swimming halls and fire stations to museums and theatres.
Ski resorts and ferry routes in the archipelago also serve as polling locations. Mobile voting buses will cover areas beyond municipal centres.
Advance voting has been in use since 1972. Its popularity has increased, with 33.1% of eligible voters casting advance ballots in the 2021 municipal elections. Of those who voted, 60% did so in advance. Elderly voters remain the most active group, comprising 45.1% of all advance voters in the last municipal election.
Advance voting participation varies widely between municipalities. In 2021, turnout ranged from 14.3% in Korsnäs to 58.2% in Lestijärvi.
This year, there are 958 advance voting stations. Helsinki has the most, with 35. In contrast, 114 municipalities have only one. The number of residents per station ranges from 26,699 in Espoo to 379 in Utsjoki. On average, there are 4,365 residents per advance voting site.
Eighteen municipalities have at least ten advance voting stations, nearly all of them cities with over 50,000 residents. An exception is the island city of Parainen, with a population of just over 10,000, which has 11 polling sites, including ferry services.
Advance voting is possible anywhere in Finland or abroad. Unlike on election day, voters do not need to be in their home municipality when casting an advance vote. A valid ID is required.
Libraries account for 220 voting locations across 112 municipalities. Commercial sites such as shopping centres provide 165 sites in 67 municipalities. Town and city halls host 154, while schools and educational institutions provide 100. Other municipal offices and service centres account for an additional 110 sites.
There are also 79 mobile polling stations in 73 municipalities. Most are voting buses, with ferry voting offered in Parainen and Kemiönsaari. The highest number of mobile stations is found in Kymenlaakso and Kainuu. Lapland ranks third, followed by North Karelia and Ostrobothnia. No mobile polling services are available in Central Ostrobothnia or South Karelia.
Advance voting runs from 2 to 8 April in Finland and from 2 to 5 April abroad. On election day, 13 April, voting is only permitted at the voter’s designated polling station, as notified by post or through the Suomi.fi service.
Polling locations and opening hours are listed at www.vaalit.fi and on municipal websites.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
