County elections and municipal elections: Examples of voting process published to help voters
The 2025 county elections and municipal elections will be held simultaneously, but they are two separate elections. The Ministry of Justice has published communication materials providing examples that will help voters know what to do when they go to a polling station.
Voting in two elections during a single visit to a polling station is simple. At the polling station, an election official will give each voter two ballots, a purple one and a white one. The purple ballot is for the county elections and the white ballot for the municipal elections. Election officials will advise and assist voters at the polling station. When the votes are being counted, the ballots can be distinguished based on their colour.
Candidate numbers in the elections are also different. Candidate numbers in the county elections start from the number 2002, and candidate numbers in the municipal elections start from the number 2. In the county elections, voters may only vote for a candidate standing for election in their own wellbeing services county, while in the municipal elections, voters may only vote for a candidate standing for election in their own municipality of residence.
Examples illustrate the voting process step by step
To help voters, the Ministry of Justice has published illustrated step-by-step instructions on the voting process. The instructions include an example of both advance voting and voting on election day.
Instructions are available in the communication channels of the Ministry of Justice
Animations about voting can be watched on the social media accounts of the Ministry of Justice, including the Ministry's YouTube channel. The animations are available in Finnish, Swedish and English. In addition, the illustrated examples of the voting process are available on the Electionsfinland.fi website in Finnish, Swedish, English, North Sámi, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi. Municipalities have also been provided with an opportunity to order posters showing the examples from the Ministry of Justice to display at their polling stations.
Residents of Helsinki and Åland will not vote in the county elections
The City of Helsinki and Åland do not belong to any wellbeing services county but are responsible for organising health, social and rescue services in their area themselves. This means that residents of Helsinki and Åland will not vote in the country elections.
However, residents of Helsinki will vote in the municipal elections, while residents of Åland will not. Municipal elections are not conducted in Åland at the same time as elsewhere in Finland, but the next municipal elections will be held there in autumn 2027.
