Elections

You can influence political decisions and the composition of municipal and government bodies by voting in elections and referendums.

You can influence political decisions and the composition of municipal and government bodies by voting in elections and referendums. Voting in Finland is voluntary.

The Finnish electoral system is a combination of personal elections and partisan elections where one number is used to vote for both a person and a party. Finland has five types of general elections: municipal elections, county elections, parliamentary elections, European Parliamentary elections and presidential elections. 

Municipal elections are held to elect the councillors of the municipalities. The municipal council is elected by direct secret vote of the residents for four year terms. The number of councillors in Espoo is 75. The number  is proportional to the population of the municipality and may vary from 17 to 85.

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 the 51st day before election day, and

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 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.

Candidates may be nominated by political parties and constituency associations.