Advance voting in European elections to begin on Wednesday 29 May 2024

Advance voting in the elections to the European Parliament, or European elections, will be conducted in Finland from 29 May to 4 June 2024 and abroad between 29 May and 1 June 2024. However, many of the advance polling stations located abroad are open for a shorter period than this. The election day is Sunday 9 June 2024.

During the advance voting period, eligible voters may vote at any of the general advance polling stations in Finland or abroad. 

The addresses and opening hours of the advance polling stations in Finland and abroad are available in the Information and Result Service and in the Polling Station Service run by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency at www.aanestyspaikat.fi.

Voters may also call the Elections Helpline of the Ministry of Justice free of charge to ask about the advance polling stations. The telephone number is 0800 9 4770 for service in Finnish and English and 0800 9 4771 for service in Swedish and English. Voters can also send their election-related questions on WhatsApp (050 438 8730).

Persons whose ability to move and function is so limited that they are unable to go to a polling station without unreasonable difficulty may vote in advance in their own home. Those who wish to vote in advance in their home must notify the central municipal election board of their municipality of this by 16.00 on Tuesday 28 May 2024. 

Persons residing or staying abroad for the entire advance voting period and on election day may vote by post from abroad. An eligible voter wishing to vote by post must order the postal voting documents to an address located abroad in advance, cast their vote after receiving the documents, and send the ballot to the central municipal election board of their municipality in Finland. Postal votes must arrive at the correct central municipal election board by 19.00 on Friday 7 June 2024. More detailed instructions are available at www.vaalit.fi/en/postal-voting.

Polling card has been sent to all eligible voters 

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has sent a polling card to all eligible voters either by post or electronically via Suomi.fi Messages. The polling card has been sent electronically to those eligible voters who have activated Suomi.fi Messages and given their consent for official messages to be sent via the service. The number of eligible voters in the upcoming elections in Finland is around 4.5 million.

Candidate information is available in the Information and Result Service

The constituency electoral committee of Helsinki confirmed the nomination of candidates for the European elections on 10 May 2024. The candidates and their candidate numbers can be found in the Information and Result Service of the Ministry of Justice. The candidates stand for election in the entire country.

Proving identity at polling station

Voters must present proof of their identity at the polling station. Official photo IDs, such as passports, driving licences and identity cards issued by the police are accepted as proof of identity. It is essential that an election official can reliably verify the voter's identity based on the document. Voters who do not have a valid proof of identity can obtain a temporary identity card free of charge from the police for voting purposes. Two passport photographs are required for a temporary identity card.

Follow voter turnout online 

You can follow voter turnout during the advance voting period in the Information and Result Service. Once the advance voting period has begun, information on the number of advance voters in the entire country, in each election district and in each municipality will be updated in the service once every hour.

Inquiries:
Laura Nurminen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 2951 50008, [email protected] 
Elina Rissanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 2951 50248, [email protected]
Arto Jääskeläinen, Director of Electoral Administration, tel. +358 2951 50128, [email protected]

Read more about the European elections and voting at www.electionsfinland.fi
The Polling Station Service of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is available at www.aanestyspaikat.fi.