Right to vote and voting
Voting is everybody's fundamental right. You are entitled to vote if you are 18 years old at the latest on the election day; otherwise the right to vote is election-specific.
Information on the right to vote
Only a citizen of Finland can vote in the parliamentary and presidential elections. A citizen of another EU country living in Finland is entitled to vote in the European Parliament election.
A citizen of Iceland and Norway as well as a citizen of a non-EU country is entitled to vote in county and municipal elections, if they have continuously lived in Finland for at least two years.
The voting register will be set up on the 51st day before the election day. This data will define the voter’s municipality of residence and the polling place on the actual election day.
Read more about the right to vote on the vaalit.fi website.
This is how you vote
You can vote in advance in any early-voting place in Finland and abroad.
On the election day, you can only vote in the polling place specified in your polling card. The polling card will be mailed to your home address, or you can read it on the suomi.fi service.
You do not have to present your polling card in order to vote.
You will find your polling place on the map, based on your home address, online at: www.aanestyspaikat.fi (the service is available only around election time). The service will also offer the early voting place closest to you.
If you are unsure about your polling place or right to vote, do not hesitate to contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (tel. 0295 535 530, the service is available only around election time).
When you go to the polling place, remember to take your identity card with you, for example, your driver’s license, passport, ID card, or a corresponding photo ID.
If you do not have a document verifying your identity, you can get a temporary, free-of-charge ID card at a police station.