Cardboard ballot box and voting ballots for the county and municipal elections. LEHTIKUVA
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More than 260,000 foreign citizens are eligible to vote in Finland’s municipal and county elections this April, according to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). This figure represents nearly six percent of the total electorate, up from 4.7 percent in the last local election.
Foreign nationals can vote in local elections if they have lived in Finland for at least two years. The share of foreign voters is especially high in major cities.
In Vantaa, non-citizens make up 15.8 percent of the electorate, while in Helsinki, the share is 10.7 percent.
For Pukhraj Ranjan, 35, the first voting card she received five years ago came as a surprise.
“The letter made me feel like I was considered to have been in the country long enough to earn the right to vote,” she said in Helsinki.
Originally from India, Ranjan is voting for the second time this year. She said tools like election compasses have helped her understand Finnish politics and feel connected to local decision-making.
“You realise that you do play a role in how the city works and how people are welcomed,” she said.
Ranjan is currently expecting her first child and applied for Finnish citizenship last year. While she sees it as reasonable that national voting rights are reserved for citizens, she values having a say in local matters that affect daily life.
“I have no experience of rural Finland. The realities are totally different,” she said.
Julian Rodriguez, a Mexican-Spanish dual national, will vote for the first time in Finland this spring. He moved to Helsinki with his family two years ago and holds a permanent residence permit.
“My wife wanted to return to Finland after our children were born, so here we are,” he said.
Rodriguez completed Yle’s election compass and said he is eager to support a candidate who shares his views.
“It’s great that I can express my opinion. Coming from Mexico, I know how important it is to vote and make your voice heard,” he said.
Although foreign residents are not eligible to vote in national elections unless they acquire Finnish citizenship, Rodriguez supports the current system.
“National elections are just for Finns, but I’m pleased to have a voice on the local level, like in matters related to my children’s education,” he said.
The number of eligible foreign voters has steadily grown as Finland’s population becomes more diverse. The DVV’s data shows the biggest increases in urban areas, where international communities are most concentrated.
According to authorities, efforts to inform non-citizens of their voting rights have improved. Voter information materials are now provided in multiple languages, and election tools such as voting guides and compasses have become more widely used.
This year’s double election includes municipal elections across the country and county elections in all regions except Helsinki, which operates its own social and healthcare services.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
