Right to vote in Åland
In accordance with the Finnish Constitution, every Finnish citizen who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote in parliamentary elections, presidential elections and referendums. EU citizens aged 18 or over also have the right to vote in European Parliament elections.
Åland has its own legislation on elections to the Åland Parliament and municipal elections. Persons with Åland right of domicile are entitled to vote in elections to the Åland Parliament from the age of 18. To be eligible to vote in local elections, you must be aged 18 or over and either have right of domicile or have been resident in an Åland municipality for at least one year before polling day.
The Info Norden webpage Citizenship in Åland contains information on Finnish citizenship and what Åland right of domicile entails. More information on the right to vote in Åland is also available on the Government of Åland’s election pages.
Elections in Åland
In Åland you can vote in elections to the Åland Parliament, municipal elections, presidential elections, elections to the Parliament of Finland and elections to the European Parliament. More information on elections in Åland is available on the Government of Åland’s election pages or in the menu tabs below.
The Parliament of Åland represents the population in matters relating to self-government. The parliament consists of 30 members who are elected through direct, secret and proportional elections. Regular elections to the Parliament of Åland are held on the third Sunday in October every four years, at the same time as regular municipal elections. Anyone who has reached the age of 18 by polling day and has Åland right of domicile is eligible to vote in parliamentary elections. This means that persons living outside Åland with Åland right of domicile may vote in parliamentary elections. More information on parliamentary elections is available on the webpage Elections to the Parliament of Åland.
Municipal councils in Åland are elected through direct, secret and proportional elections. Regular municipal elections are held at the same time as elections to the Parliament of Åland on the third Sunday in October every four years. Anyone who has reached the age of 18 by polling day at the latest, is resident in an Åland municipality and has Åland right of domicile, or has been resident in an Åland municipality for at least one year before polling day is eligible to vote. More information on municipal elections is available on the webpage Municipal elections.
The election of members of the Parliament of Finland from Åland takes place in the same way as for other members in Finland, the only difference being that the Åland constituency has only one seat. Elections to the Parliament of Finland are held every four years by direct, proportional and secret elections. Election day is the third Sunday in April in an election year, unless it falls on the Easter weekend.
Every Finnish citizen, regardless of their place of residence, who has reached the age of 18 by polling day is eligible to vote in elections to the Parliament of Finland. All Finnish citizens living abroad are also eligible to vote in elections to the Parliament of Finland. Find out more on the webpage Parliamentary elections.
Members of the European Parliament are elected by EU citizens through direct elections held in all Member States every five years. Åland does not have its own seat in the European Parliament but is part of Finland’s constituency.
Finnish citizens who reach the age 18 by election day at the latest are eligible to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Citizens of other EU countries may also be entitled to vote if certain conditions are met. Find out more on the webpage European elections.
The President of the Republic of Finland is elected by direct popular vote every six years. Election day is the fourth Sunday in January of the election year. Every Finnish citizen, regardless of their place of residence, who has reached the age of 18 by polling day is eligible to vote in presidential elections. Find out more about presidential elections in Finland on the website val.fi.
In Åland, both advisory municipal referendums and advisory referendums for all of Åland may be held. The provincial act on the procedure for advisory municipal referendums contains provisions on e.g. the timing and polling districts, the responsible electoral authorities, the counting of votes etc. The municipal council initiates referendums and is responsible for organising and funding them.
Voting in Åland
If you are in Finland or Åland, you can vote at a polling station on the election day or in advance. Persons who are eligible to vote and have a known address receive a polling card by post before election day. The polling card states the polling station, the times for early voting and which election is taking place. In national elections, the notification of voting entitlement is sent either by post or electronically via Suomi.fi, depending on the chosen method of delivery.
On election day, you can only vote at the polling station specified. During the early voting period, you can cast your vote at any public early voting centre. You do not need to bring your polling card, but you must present a valid form of ID. A valid form of ID could be e.g. a passport or driving licence.
You must cast your vote in person, but at your request, an election official is obliged under the Election Act to assist you with voting. If you have difficulty marking your ballot paper yourself due to a disability, illness or physical injury, you may engage your own assistant to help you vote. However, the assistant may not be a candidate or a close relative of a candidate.
Information for voters on e.g. voting rights, advance voting, polling stations, the right to request assistance when voting etc. is available on the website val.ax.
Voting abroad
Voting abroad
If you are eligible to vote and who live or are staying outside Finland and Åland for the entire voting period, you may vote in advance at a general advance polling station outside Finland or Åland, or by postal vote. For elections to the Parliament of Åland and municipal elections, as well as for national elections, there are designated early voting centres abroad. You can vote at any general advance polling station abroad, regardless of where you live. More information is available at val.ax and val.fi.
More information
The Info Norden website contains information on voting rights in the other Nordic countries, as well as contact details for the authorities that can answer questions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.