At 9am Sunday, polling stations opened under sunny skies throughout mainland Finland. Voters are casting ballots in municipal and county elections – the first double election staged in the country in nearly 30 years.
Voting continues until 8pm. On election day, each eligible voter may only vote at their own polling station, as notified by mail in advance.
If there is a queue at the polling station at 8pm, everyone who has arrived by then will still be allowed to vote, even if the doors to the polling station are closed.
Results may be delayed
The counting of votes begins as soon as polling stations close. The advance votes for the municipal and regional elections will mostly be counted during the day on Sunday. Early voting ended on Tuesday with about 28 percent of eligible voters casting ballots in advance.
The first results from advance voting will be published around 8pm. However, as this is a dual election, overall results may take longer than usual to announce. The full picture of election results may not be clear until midnight or the early hours of Monday.
Who should I vote for?
Still unsure how to vote, or if you are eligible to do so?
Yle News offers a step-by-step guide to the process. Remember to bring an official photo ID.
Still unsure who to vote for?
Yle’s election compass helps you find a candidate whose views align with yours. It is available in English and seven other languages.
What are we voting for?
In the municipal elections, voters are electing local councils, which are responsible for issues such as schools, daycares, libraries, zoning and construction.
In county elections, voters elect the councils of 21 wellbeing services counties. These councils are responsible for social and healthcare services, as well as rescue operations.
Regional elections are not held in Helsinki or the Åland islands. The autonomous province of Åland holds municipal elections at different times from the rest of Finland.
The weather should not prevent anyone from making it to a polling place. The forecast calls for warm, clear conditions through nearly the entire country. Temperatures are set to rise into the mid-teens Celsius in the south, remaining just below freezing in the far north.