Who can vote?

Municipal elections

Municipal elections are held to elect the councillors of the municipality. The election day for the 2021 municipal elections is the 13th June 2021 and advance voting is possible from the 26th of May until 8th June in Finland, and from the 2nd to the 5th of June abroad.

Right to Vote

Entitled to vote in municipal elections are

  1. citizens of Finland or another Member State of the European Union as well as of Iceland and Norway who have reached the age of 18 not later than on the day of the election, and whose municipality of residence, as defined by law, is the municipality in question on 23 April 2021 (on the 51st day before election day),
  2. other foreigners who have reached the age of 18 not later than on the day of the election, and whose municipality of residence, as defined by law, is the municipality in question on 23 April 2021 (on the 51st day before election day), and who at that time have had a municipality of residence in Finland for an uninterrupted period of two years and
  3. those who are employed by the European Union or an international organisation based in Finland and who are habitually resident in the municipality in question on 23 April 2021 (on the 51st day before the election day), provided that their personal information has, at their request, been entered into the Population Information System and that they have submitted a written notification to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, no later than 22 April 2021 (on the 52nd day before the election day), stating that they wish to exercise their right to vote in the municipal elections.

Where and how to vote

Advanced voting

During the advance voting persons entitled to vote may do so at any general advance polling station. You need to have an identity card, which may be a police-issued ID, passport, driver’s license, or similar photo document with you when you go to vote. Here you can find the general advance polling stations and here you can find further instructions on how to vote.

Voting on election day

On election day you can only vote at the polling station stated on the card sent to you from the The Digital and Population Data Services Agency before the election. If for some reason you have not received the notification, you can inquire about it and its information content from the Digital and Demographic Information Agency. You can also ask for your own polling station on the election service number 0800 9 4770. The polling stations are open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. You need to have an identity card, which may be a police-issued ID, passport, driver’s license, or similar photo document with you when you go to vote. Here you can find further instructions on how to vote.