Election funding in county elections

Persons elected as county councillors and deputy county councillors must file an election funding disclosure with the National Audit Office of Finland. If a person stands as a candidate in both county elections and municipal elections conducted at the same time and is elected as councillor or deputy councillor in at least one of the two elections, the person must file an election funding disclosure for both elections.

As for the restrictions on election funding and the information to be provided in the election funding disclosure, candidates in county elections are equated with candidates in parliamentary elections. This means that the following provisions apply to county elections:

• The maximum amount that a candidate may accept from a single donor is EUR 6,000.
• The name of a private donor must not be disclosed without the donor’s consent, if the amount donated is less than EUR 1,500.
• Each individual campaign contribution whose value is at least EUR 1,500 must be disclosed separately.
• Candidates are obliged to file post-election disclosures if they have taken out a loan.

It is also provided in the Act that candidates must not, in any elections, accept campaign contributions from the wellbeing services counties, companies under their control, unincorporated county enterprises or joint county authorities for wellbeing services.