City of Helsinki

06/04/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/04/2021 07:20

You still have time to cast an advance vote in the municipal elections

04.06.2021 07:30

Advance voting for municipal elections will take place 26 May-8 June. In the election arrangements, special attention has been paid to make the voting situation coronavirus-safe. The polling stations will follow the coronavirus guidelines set by the Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

The advance voting period is longer than usual in order to avoid congestion at the voting stations and to ensure that everyone who wishes to shall be able to vote in advance. In general, the busiest advance voting days have been the first and last two days of the advance voting period.

During the advance voting period, you may vote at any general advance polling station. See a list of Helsinki's advance polling stations.

For the advance voting in municipal elections, some premises that would, otherwise, be closed or have restricted openings due to coronavirus restrictions will be opened in Helsinki. However, the actual services of these sites will not yet be expanded, and the opening of the premises only concerns coronation-safe voting.

On the actual election day 13 June 2021, you can only vote at the polling station in your own voting area. Those entitled to vote have been notified in writing of their own polling station.

Arrive at polling stations healthy, follow coronavirus guidelines

The Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have released coronavirus instructions for voters. The instructions can be found here.

At the polling station, it is important to wear a face mask or visor and use hand cleanser, and to maintain a safety distance of two meters from other voters and election officials.

Electoral officers will monitor safety at the voting station and provide advice on the following of instructions.
Particular attention shall be paid to the cleanliness of the voting premises and, for example, the pens in the voting booths. You can also use your own pen when voting.

Each voter must prove his/her identity at the polling station. An electoral officer may ask the voter to momentarily remove their face mask to verify their identity.

You can also vote outdoors or in your car

During the advance voting period in Helsinki, you can also vote outdoors in the parking lot of Töölö Sports Hall (Mäntymäki field) and in the area of the former Malmi Airport (passage from Tattariharjuntie). You can arrive to vote outdoors either on foot, by bike or by car. For cyclists and walkers there are separate lanes to the voting tents, separated from motorists.

In drive-in voting, the car acts as the voting booth and the voter is alone in their car. If there are other people in the car, they must leave the car during the voting process.

Bike stands will be placed outside each tent for those arriving by bicycle, where the bikes can be left.

On the actual election day of 13 June, there will be no drive-in voting option.

Töölö Sports Hall parking lot
Mäntymäki field
Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00

The former Malmi Airport
Passage from Tattariharjuntie, signposts to the voting station
Mon-Fri 9:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00

What to do if you get sick or are quarantined?

For voters with respiratory symptoms and in quarantine or isolation as prescribed by a doctor, there are special measures to enable voting. The measures depend on whether you fall ill during the advance voting period or on the election day. Further information on voting in quarantine or isolation.

Illness or quarantine during advance voting 26 May-8 June 2021

If you have respiratory symptoms, take a corona test and wait at home for your test result before you vote in advance.

If you are in voluntary quarantine or isolation, wait for the quarantine or isolation to end before you vote or favour an outdoor vote.

If you are in quarantine or isolation prescribed by a doctor, do not come to the advance polling stations. Under certain conditions, you may register for a home vote by 16:00 on 1 June 2021, vote outdoors, or wait for the quarantine or isolation to end before you vote.

Home voting

An eligible voter may vote in advance at home if their ability to move and function is limited to the extent that they are unable to visit an advance polling station in Finland or their polling station on election day without unreasonable difficulties. You must register with your local central election committee for the home voting by 16:00 on 1 June. Contact information for the City of Helsinki Central Election Commission.

Further information on home voting.

Voting at an outdoor polling station under quarantine or isolation

Under quarantine or isolation, you can cast an advance vote on the election day at an outdoor polling station if

  • you can get to the polling station and back without contact with other people:
    • You can maintain a distance of at least two metres from other people when outdoors
    • You do not access an indoor space at the same time as other people (stairway, for example)
    • Remember that you cannot use public transport
  • you do not have symptoms
  • you wear a face mask
  • you ensure good hand hygiene.

Those under isolation or quarantine must observe the instructions provided on site with regard to waiting for your turn to vote. Notify the election official separately of your arrival tel. 09 310 37423 / Töölö Sports Hall or tel. 09 310 37420 / Malmi airport.

In quarantine on election day 13 June 2021

A person in quarantine or isolation prescribed by a doctor may not leave their home to travel to a voting station without the permission of an infectious disease doctor. If you know that you will be in quarantine or isolation prescribed by a doctor on election day and you are unable to vote in advance, please contact the office of the City of Helsinki Central Election Commission tel. 09 310 13344 for the opportunity to vote outdoors. A person in quarantine or isolation prescribed by a doctor may not enter a voting premises.

Further information on voting when ill or in quarantine.

You can influence decision making in the City of Helsinki by casting your vote in the municipal elections

In the municipal elections, 85 councillors of the Helsinki City Council and their deputies are elected for four years. The City Council makes decisions on the most important financial matters in the City and coordinates City administration. The council appoints members to City decision-making bodies, such as the City Board and its committees, and fills the most important public servant vacancies. The council selects the mayor and deputy mayors from among its members for the term of office, i.e. the time between municipal elections.

Election results will be confirmed and announced on 16 June 2021 The term of office of the new council begins on August 1, 2021 and ends on May 31, 2025. Municipal elections are held every four years.

Further information

Further information on municipal elections vaalit.fi

Coronavirus instructions for voters

Information on municipal elections in various languages

Municipal elections on the website of the City of Helsinki

Advance polling stations in the City of Helsinki

Voting in quarantine or isolation

News article: Municipal elections postponed until June

Photo: Marjo Karttunen

Published 26 May and updated 4 June.