Election of the President of the Republic 2024

A presidential election is held in Finland every six years. The election may consist of two rounds.

If one of the candidates receives more than half of the votes in the first round, that person is elected President. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes in the first round, a second round is held. The second round is conducted between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round.

First round of the presidential election:

• The election day is Sunday 28 January 2024.
• The advance voting period is from 17 to 23 January 2024 in Finland and from 17 to 20 January 2024 abroad.

Possible second round of the presidential election:

• If there is a second round, the election day will be Sunday 11 February 2024.
• The advance voting period for the second round is from 31 January to 6 February 2023 in Finland and from 31 January to 3 February 2024 abroad.

Duties of the President

The President directs Finland’s foreign policy in cooperation with the Government and approves the bills that Parliament has passed.

The President appoints the Prime Minister and other ministers, judges, and certain senior public officials. The President also decides on matters of war and peace. However, the consent of Parliament is required for these decisions.

Who can vote?

You can vote in the presidential election if you are a Finnish citizen and you have reached the age of 18 on or before 28 January 2024.

Who can you vote for?

Political parties and constituency associations may nominate candidates in the presidential election. The candidates must be Finnish citizens born in Finland.

The presidential candidates stand for election in the entire country, so you may vote for any of the candidates.

Each candidate has a candidate number. The candidate numbers are displayed at polling stations and in voting booths. Information about the candidates is available in newspapers, on TV and on the internet, for example.

Polling card

If you have the right to vote, you will receive a letter informing you of this. The letter contains two notices of your right to vote, in other words polling cards.

You will receive the polling cards electronically if you have activated Suomi.fi Messages, a service provided
by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

For more information, please see www.suomi.fi/viestit.

You can choose whether you want to vote on election day or in advance. If you choose to vote on election day, check your polling station on the polling card. If you choose to vote in advance, you can do so at any of the advance polling stations.

A list of advance polling stations near you is enclosed with the polling card. You do not need to bring the polling card to the polling station, but you must have an ID with you.

At-home voting

If you are ill or if going to a polling station or voting there would be unreasonably difficult for you, you can vote from home during the advance voting period.

You must register for at-home voting by 16.00 on 16 January 2023 by contacting the central municipal election board of your municipality.

The board’s telephone number is given on the polling card. The board will also provide you with more information about at-home voting If a second round is held in the presidential election, your registration for at-home voting is also valid in the second round.

Election secrecy

You decide for yourself if you want to vote at all, and who you vote for. Election secrecy means that you do not need to tell anyone who you voted for. Because of election secrecy, you will fill in the ballot in a voting booth.

Vote in the presidential election!

Vote in the presidential election!This way you can have a say on who will attend to the President’s duties for the next six years.

This brochure provides easy-to-read information on voting and the 2024 presidential election. For more information, please see www.electionsfinland.fi.

If you have any questions about the election or voting, you can also call the Elections Helpline of the Ministry of Justice. The number is 0800 9 4770.

You can also send your question using WhatsApp at 050 438 8730

Information about the Presidential Election in different languages