45.7 % cast votes in 2nd round presidential poll in advance in Finland

A total of 19,56,529 people cast votes in advance in Finland in the second round of the presidential election, which is 45.7 percent of the total voters living in the country, according to the Statistics of the Ministry of Justice.

The total number of votes cast in advance abroad, however, could not be known yet.

The advance voting in the election started on January 31 in home and abroad and in Finland it ended on Tuesday while the voting was ended abroad on Saturday.

The turnout in advance ballot in the second round is 1.2 percent higher compared to the turnout in the advance ballot in Finland in the first round of the election held in last month. In the first round 44.5 percent cast votes in advance in Finland.

The election will be held on February 11.

The ratio of votes cast in advance by women in the second round was 49.9 percent and men was 41.2 percent in Finland.

The highest turnout in the advance ballot was reported 50.7 percent in Pirkanmaa followed by 48.9 percent in Lapland and 47.5 percent in Satakunta.

The lowest turnout was 25.1 percent in Åland followed by 41.3 percent in Vaasa and 43.1 percent in Oulu.

A total of 955 general advance polling stations were set up across the country while a total of 220 advance polling stations were setup in 89 different countries, located at Finland's diplomatic and consular missions or their offices.

A total of 4546041 voters- 4281711 in Finland and 264330 abroad- are entitled to vote this year´s presidential election.

Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto are contesting in the second round as they became the top two among the nine candidates in the first round of the election held on January 28.

Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) candidate Stubb narrowly led in the first round with 8,82,113 (27.2%) votes while his nearest contestant Haavisto of Vihreä Liitto (Green Party), who is contesting as a constituency association candidate secured 8,36,357 (25.8%) votes.