Postal voting likely to be introduced in parliamentary polls

Postal voting system likely to be introduced in the country in the upcoming parliamentary elections, said an official press release.

Eligible voters living permanently abroad and eligible voters staying abroad during the advance voting period and on the election day will have the right to vote by post in general elections.

A voter wishing to vote by post is responsible for ordering the postal voting documents, voting, and returning the vote in time.

The postal voting documents can only be ordered to an address located abroad. The voter must have two witnesses present when he or she votes. The witnesses must attest, by their signatures, that voting has taken place in such a manner that election secrecy has been preserved and electoral freedom respected while voting. The voter must send the ballot and the other documents so that they arrive at the correct central municipal election board by the Friday preceding the election day.

Postal voting is expected to improve expatriate Finns' and other eligible voters' possibilities to vote. Despite this new possibility, it will also in future be possible to vote in advance at the Finnish diplomatic and consular missions abroad that have been designated for the purpose by decree. This means that an eligible voter staying abroad may freely choose whether he or she wants to vote by post or in person at an advance polling station.

The easiest way to order the postal voting documents is to place an order in the online service of the Ministry of Justice at vaalit.fi/kirjeaanestys, which will be opened on 14 January. Postal voting will be possible from 14 March onwards, once the candidate numbers have been confirmed. The postal voting documents can also be ordered by post or email. More detailed instructions are available at www.vaalit.fi. The postal voting documents for the elections to the European Parliament can be ordered from 26 March onwards.