Editorial: what do you get when you vote?
Mayor Pekka Timonen talks about the preelection atmosphere of the historic double elections in the first editorial of the year's Residents' Magazine. See you at the ballot box!
"By voting, you have a say in what kind of city we build together - what it's like to live, work and work"
This spring, you have power. You can vote in regional and local elections by advance ballot from 2 to 8 April or on election day on Sunday 13 April.
The municipal elections will elect councillors to the Vantaa City Council, which decides the direction, economy and services of our city and has a broad influence on all decisions in the city. In the regional elections, you will elect a councillor to the Regional Council of the Vantaa and Kerava Welfare Area.
By voting, you influence who will decide for the next four years on the issues that matter to us in our everyday lives. This is a power worth exercising.
The city plays a key role in our everyday lives, deciding on issues such as how to develop early childhood education and basic education, how to keep our streets in good condition, how to develop cultural and sports services, and how to find solutions to, for example, adapting to climate change.
In the last municipal elections, 48.8% of Vantaa residents voted, while in the regional elections only 38.1% of our citizens exercised their right to vote. I believe we can do better.
In the city, we have worked to make voting easier and more familiar. For the first time, an election bus is now touring the city, where you can vote in advance at one of its 45 stops! In the autumn, we organised a polling station simulation at the town hall, where participants tried out the new polling station arrangements. We will implement these arrangements based on the feedback we receive. Thank you to active residents!
In the autumn, the new councillors will plan the city's new strategy for 2026-2029, including what kind of everyday life Vantaa's children will have in kindergartens and schools. They will also decide on issues such as zoning, parks and sports facilities. By voting, you can influence the kind of city we build together - the kind of city we live, work and work in!
According to a recent survey of local residents, as many as 82% of respondents nationwide intend to vote in the elections. Are you one of them?
Pekka Timonen, Mayor
This article was published in Residents' magazine 1/2025. Read the other articles on the resident magazine home page!
