[Opinion] 260k non-citizens eligible to vote in Finland's upcoming elections

Foreign residents set to vote in record numbers in local elections

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 majo…

260k non-citizens eligible to vote in Finland's upcoming elections

In Vantaa, foreign voters make up nearly 16 percent of the electorate.

On April 13, Finland will hold its equivalent of the Norwegian municipal and county council elections. At that time, 15 members of the Council of Europe's Congress will observe that everything is going smoothly, and the only Norwegian among them is the current mayor of Bardu.