Presidential Election, 28 January and 11 February 2024

Finland held presidential elections on 28 January 2024. The country is a parliamentary republic whose unicameral Parliament (Edskunta) consists of 200 seats. Members are elected by proportional representation in single- and multi-seat constituencies, to four-year terms (Country Reports 2024; Ministry of Justice 2020). 

The President oversees the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) and the country’s foreign and security policies (Luoma and Sevgili 2024). This election took place in the context of Finland's accession to NATO in April 2023 (Bryant 2024). 

The highest election authority in Finland is the Ministry of Justice. In addition to central electoral commissions and boards, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for compiling the voting register and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for organizing advance voting abroad.  (OSCE 2023; Ministry of Justice 2020). 

Candidates in Finland are not required to disclose financial campaign financing information, however many candidates did so voluntarily (OSCE 2023). 

Early voting took place from 17 to 23 January . Provision is made for voting from residential settings in special circumstances (military garrisons, medical institutions, prisons and care homes).  The OSCE expressed confidence in the election administration, voter registration, candidate registration, and election dispute system (OSCE 2023).

The Act on the Public Broadcaster ensures that local media provides all information regarding the elections, both about the electoral system and the political parties and candidates running for the specific elections (ACE 2019). Additionally, the Public Media Alliance ensures that public broadcasting services are allowed journalistic support and freedom independently from government bodies (Public Media Alliance n.d.). The OSCE deemed the information environment during these elections to be trustworthy, however they did note that female candidates receive different treatment in the media. Of the nine presidential candidates six were male and three were female (YLE News 2024).     

Voter turnout for the first round was 71.55 per cent, higher than the 66.76 per cent turnout from the 2018 elections (International IDEA 2024b). As no candidate received 50 per cent or more of the vote, the presidential election went to a second round on 11 February 2024 (YLE  2024a). The second round was won by former Finish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, receiving 51.6 per cent of the vote (CNN 2024) on a turnout of 70.7 per cent (YLE 2024b).