Make your voice heard in the municipal elections
Everyone in Espoo has the power to influence how the city will develop in the coming years. That is why everyone should cast their vote in the municipal elections.
The municipal elections in April will decide who gets to make decisions about the lives of Espoo residents – both at the grassroots level and regarding policies that will affect people for decades.
Kai Mykkänen, the new Mayor of Espoo, gives some examples:“The new City Council will decide on things like whether Espoo’s schools will have more teaching hours than neighbouring municipalities or whether the public swimming pool will be free for seniors. The Council also decides on the new master plan for Espoo, which outlines the areas and the extent of development in the city over the next 30 years.”
Ahmed Jama, an Espoo resident who has lived in Finland for 33 years, understands the importance of voting. Jama comes from Somalia and has always voted in all elections.
He has worked with immigrants for years and urges everyone to use the power of their vote.
“It’s the only way to make a difference. Many immigrants believe they are not entitled to vote if they are not yet Finnish citizens,” Jama says.
“Anyone who lives in Espoo long-term is just as much a resident as everyone else. We don’t have citizenship; instead, everyone is a municipal resident,” Mykkänen confirms.
According to Mykkänen, it is also important for immigrants to make their voices heard. This is because the city council decides on things like how much support non-native-speaking children receive to help them integrate into their local school. From the beginning of this year, the responsibility for arranging integration and employment services was also transferred from the state to the city.
Schools, day care centres, public swimming pools and libraries are part of daily life for every family, so the shortcomings and successes related to services have a real impact on people. The final decision on funding and priorities is made by the City Council, whose members are elected by the voters in Espoo.
“These municipal elections have the greatest impact on things that you can see from your window and feel in your everyday life. So please vote,” says Mykkänen.
More information about the elections: espoo.fi/en/elections.
This article was originally published in the Espoo-lehti magazine 1/2025. Read other articles in the Espoo-lehti.