County Elections
In the county elections, voters will elect representatives for county councils. County councils decide on the organisation and provision of health and social services and rescue services in wellbeing services counties.
County and municipal elections to be held simultaneously for the first time in April
The county and municipal elections will be held simultaneously on Sunday, 13 April 2025. Advance voting in Finland will take place from 2–8 April, and abroad from 2–5 April. Voters can cast their ballots for both elections at the same time. However, they also have the option to vote for each election separately or to participate in only one of the elections.
In the county elections will be elected 59 representatives to the regional council of the Wellbeing Services County Eloisa. In the municipal elections, voters will elect representatives for municipal councils. Municipal councils decide on the activities and finances of municipalities.
The Wellbeing Services County Eloisa provides social and healthcare services and emergency services in the 11 municipalities of South Savo in about 170 locations.
Right to vote in county elections
The right to vote in county elections is determined in the same way as in municipal elections: a person who reaches the age of 18 years no later than on election day has the right to vote, if they are:
- A) citizen of Finland or another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway and their municipality of residence is a municipality belonging to the wellbeing services county in question on the 51st day before election day; or
- B) other foreigners who have reached the age of 18 not later than on the day of the election, and whose municipality of residence, as defined by law, is the municipality in question on the 51st day before election day, and who at that time have had a municipality of residence in Finland for an uninterrupted period of two years and
- C) those who are employed by the European Union or an international organisation based in Finland and who are habitually resident in the municipality in question on the 51st day before the election day, provided that their personal information has, at their request, been entered into the Population Information System and that they have submitted a written notification to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency on the 52nd day (20 February 2025) before the election day, stating that they wish to exercise their right to vote in the municipal elections.
By voting, you influence who will make important decisions affecting everyday life for the next four years. In the county elections, councillors will be elected to county councils responsible for organising social and healthcare services as well as rescue operations in their respective welfare regions.
Schedule for the 2025 county elections and municipal elections
Election day: Sunday 13 April 2025
Advance voting in Finland: 2–8 April 2025
Advance voting abroad: 2–5 April 2025
You can vote either in advance or on election day
Information about advance polling stations will be available in the Information and Result Service of the Ministry of Justice (as of the end of January 2025).
Your election day polling station will be specified on the polling card that will be sent to you before the elections. You can also search for your election day polling station based on your home address in the Polling Station ServiceLink to an external website run by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency starting on 18 March 2025.
Service numbers for the 2025 county and municipal elections
Elections Helpline for voters:
+358 800 9 4770 (in Finnish and English)
+358 800 9 4771 (in Swedish and English)
WhatsApp message service: +358 50 438 8730
Opening hours of the service numbers:
- From 13 January to 1 April: weekdays at 8–16
- From 2 to 11 April: weekdays at 8–20 (From 5 to 6 April Saturday and Sunday at 9–18)
- Saturday 12 April at 9–18
- Sunday 13 April at 8–20
- From 14 to 17 April: weekdays 9–16
You can contact the service numbers to ask about elections and voting. Calls are free of charge when calling from a Finnish telephone number.
Page edited 28.1.2025
