Information about the youth council election

• A politically independent representative body for young people in Espoo
• 40 young people (aged 13–18)
• General assembly once a month
• A 2-year term, 1 January 2026–31 December 2027
• The Youth Council elects six persons from among its members to form the Youth Council Board. The board also includes the Youth Council’s chairpersons.
• The Youth Council has a chairperson and two vice-chairpersons.
• The Youth Council has its own working groups as well as representatives in the city’s committees, working, steering and management groups.
• Events
• More information: espoo.fi/nuva

This is the schedule for the autumn (we reserve the right to make changes):

Registration of candidates: 8–19 September 2025 

Campaigning: 20 September – 2 November 2025 

Election information events and candidate photoshoots: 25 and 26 September

Election: 3–21 November 2025 

Results are announced at a gala on 5 December 2025 

All young people who turn 13–18 during the election year and whose official municipality of residence is Espoo can vote and stand for election. 

Eligible in 2025: 

- Those born no earlier than 1 January 2007 (i.e. they turn 18 in 2025) 

- Those born no later than 31 December 2012 (i.e. they turn 13 in 2025) 

Young people who have moved to Finland from another country (exceptional situations): The young person lives in Espoo but does not yet have a Finnish personal identity code and has not been registered in the Population Information System. The young person can vote and stand for election even if their official municipality of residence has not yet been registered. If the City of Espoo arranges education for a young person, it means that the person lives in Espoo. According to the Basic Education Act, the municipality has an obligation to arrange basic education for those residing in its area, in which case the young person must be living in Espoo in a somewhat permanent manner. 

The candidate registration period lasts two weeks. All eligible 13–18-year-olds can stand for election 8.-19.9.2025. 

All valid applications submitted by the deadline will be accepted. 

When registering as a candidate, fill in the candidate application carefully and provide the required information. You will receive an automatic confirmation message after submitting your application. The confirmation message contains more detailed information about the candidate information events and the required consent forms.

By standing as a candidate in the youth council election, you undertake to comply with the values and operating principles guiding the activities of the actors of the City of Espoo both during the election process and later if you are elected to the Youth Council. If we find that you do not act or behave in accordance with these values and principles, we will address the issue and your candidacy may be revoked. 

You can read more in the Espoo Story, the city’s strategy.

After registration, each candidate receives a confirmation message, containing all important dates and consent forms. Candidate photoshoots will be held in week 39, and consent forms must be returned by 26 September 2025. 

All candidates will be photographed for election posters and the election compass.  

The photos will be used on the election compass website and on posters. We recommend that all candidates have their photo taken because a grey silhouette on a poster is not as interesting as a candidate’s own picture. You can also use the photo as part of your campaign. 

The election posters will be sent to various city units, so it is important that candidates participate in the photoshoot. Only the pictures taken during the photoshoot can be used on the posters and on the election compass website. 

Candidate campaigning is important. 

• You can tell people about the matters that you want to promote or influence.
• Do you have a campaign promise?
• You can make your own campaign poster, hold a morning assembly at school or take part in or organise other events.
• Social media
• Friends
• Come up with your own campaign ideas. 

Not everyone will get elected, so think about how you can make yourself visible and known among other young people. 

02 Zakaria Maadidi

03 Jenit Ahmed

04 Tabark Ali

05 Thomas Karppinen

07 Valtteri Lindgren

08 Alper Imanli

09 Victoria Ämmälä Lozano

10 Tapio Tiihonen

11 Viktor Klaus

12 Kerttu Sipilä

13 Lili Kanerva

15 Topias Toimi

16 Harsith Kakarla

17 Faith Jepleting

18 Paula Jantunen

19 M Mahreen

20 Sofia Denut

21 Fatima Sharifi

22 Moritz Bergström

24 Sara Nelskylä

25 Rasmus Inkinen

26 Patrik Lähdesmäki

27 Onni Hautsalo

28 Nima Nikmehr

29 Rasmus Hämäläinen

30 Onni Luostarinen

31 Olivia Virtanen

32 Anni Aittokoski

33 Aino Ahola

34 Aaron Lähdesmäki

35 Ella Viitala

36 Eleanor Rossi

37 Fiona Vesander

38 Patrik Korhonen

40 Oliver Myyryläinen

43 Paavo Otsolampi

44 Sisu Luoma

46 Elin Inkinen

48 Umaiza Ushoshi

49 Emma Vaittinen

50 Nicol-Maria Stefanidou

51 Kaarlo Salminen

52 Aatos Caesar

53 Suhaan Rais

54 Prinit Swami

55 Vincent von Schantz

56 Iiris Utela

57 Olli Tiihonen

59 Aron Korhonen

60 Axel Odenwall

61 Vanessa Kovalenko

64 Asma Akbari

65 Hashim Abaas

66 Luukas Määttänen

68 Heya Qasim

70 Amos Toikka

71 Aarne Peräkylä

72 Aida Lavanti

73 Esra Huttunen

74 Beyonce Sutah

75 Ilari Sell

76 Iida Karjalainen

77 Eemi Tanskanen

78 Aaro Alppivuori

79 Klaudia Katainen

80 Elisa Lempinen

82 Johnny Joas

83 Erno Pernu

85 Elijah Tissari

86 Oliver Cavonius

87 Lennitapio Ulvelin

90 Anton Nevalainen

91 Emmanuel Thompson

92 Evaan Sharma

94 Sophie Karppinen

95 Maximilian Bergström

96 Sofie Manninen

98 Johanna Vu

99 Tatu Rönkkö

100 Soléane Antskog

101 Aleksandra Petrakova

102 Bhuvan Yetukuri

104 Elina Parviainen

105 Ursula Makila

106 Iiris Hiltunen

107 Wedya Hajizada

108 Vera Enoksson

110 Khatime Amini

111 Kaius Kotka

113 Edwin Kivijärvi

114 Lahja Pietilä

115 Andreas Lintinen

117 Onni Jeanneret

118 Outi Ala-Kojola

119 Onni Koikkalainen

120 Freja Diehl

121 Isabel Saario

122 Asma Hussein

123 Ashish Lukka

124 Eino Hollmen

125 Alana Ihonen

126 Almir Llullaku

128 Katariina Räsänen

129 Elif Huttunen

130 Otso Korhonen

You must return the forms to stand as a candidate.

Print, fill in and return the form by 26th September. You can bring the forms with you to the candidate photoshoot or send them by post to the address below.

Youth council election

Karaportti 1

P.O. Box 37

02070 CITY OF ESPOO

As a candidate, you get to share your opinions on the election compass statements. Voters can use the election compass to find a suitable candidate based on their answers. The election compass includes several statements through which you can share your views. 

All candidates will receive a personal link to the election compass statements. Do not share your link. The questions are available in Finnish, Swedish and English. 

The link to the election compass: Election compass for Youth Council Elections 2025 | City of Espoo

Young people vote at their schools in Espoo. All schools must organise a vote. 

An online voting service is used at schools. An orientation session concerning the election will be organised for each school’s contact person, and separate instructions and materials for voting will be sent to them. 

Those who do not go to school in Espoo can vote at the city’s Service Points (Sello, Iso Omena or Kalajärvi) during their opening hours (more information Espoo Info | City of Espoo). Voters must show proof of identity - Kela card or student card is also accepted.

Do you live in Helsinki and want to vote? Check for voting locations here(external link, opens in a new window).
Do you live in Vantaa and want to vote? Check for voting locations here(external link, opens in a new window).

Lista koulujen äänestyspäivistä (Updates still possible)

By standing as a candidate in the youth council election, I agree to comply with the following principles:

• Through my own behaviour, I will make sure that all candidates feel welcome in the Youth Council regardless of their personal characteristics (e.g. gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, functional capacity, language or class).
• I will take responsibility for my own behaviour and also intervene in inappropriate behaviour if necessary.
• I will value all other candidates equally, regardless of how much past experience in civic participation they have.
• I will allow all candidates to define their own identity, and I will not make assumptions about other people’s identity or background.
• I will give all candidates an equal opportunity to be heard, seen and understood. This will ensure that everyone can express their thoughts and opinions.
• I will encourage, support and respect the other candidates throughout the election process.