Info
Electoral Management
EM002
Responsibility of national EMB
Question: Does the national electoral body have the responsibility for elections at:
Answer(s):
a . National level c . Local level
Comments: The responsibility is decentralised, but the Ministry of Justice is the highest electoral body in Finland.
"Section 10 — Consideration of election affairs in the Council of State
In the Council of State, the Ministry of Justice shall act as the highest election authority."
Section 11 — Electoral district committee
The State Provincial Office shall, in good time before parliamentary elections, appoint an electoral district committee for each electoral district referred to in section 5. Its term of office shall continue until a new committee has been appointed. The committee is appointed by the State Provincial Office in whose province the committee meetings are held.
website: The Ministry of Justice is responsible for promoting and monitoring electoral and participatory rights.The Ministry of Justice is the highest electoral authority in Finland and it directs the holding of national and municipal elections and referendums.
Source: Election Act 714/1998 as amended, Section 10-13
http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1998/en19980714.pdf
Finland Website of Ministry of Justice:
http://oikeusministerio.fi/en/areas-of-expertise
Verified: 2019/04/02
EM004
EMB budget determined by
Question: The budget of the national electoral management body is determined by:
Answer(s):
c . The legislature d . A national government department h . No information available
Comments: It is likely that the Ministry of Justice proposes its own budget, which is approved by Parliament.
Source: Official Website of the Election Unit of the Ministry of Justice: http://www.vaalit.fi (2012)
Verified: 2018/03/16
EM005
EMB expenditures controlled by
Question: The expenditures of the national electoral management body are controlled by:
Answer(s):
d . A national government department
Comments: "The National Audit Office has monitored election funding since 1 May 2009"
Source: Official website of the Parliament: https://www.eduskunta.fi/EN/kansanedustajat/eduskuntavaalit/Pages/default.aspx
Verified: 2019/04/02
EM006
Term of EMB members
Question: The term of the members of the national electoral management body is:
Answer:
c . For an unspecified period
Comments: At the local level, there are permanent election management bodies appointed for four-year terms by the regional state administration, providing institutional continuity. There are Election District Committees (EDCs) in each of the 15 electoral constituencies and Municipal Central Election Committees (MCECs) in each of the 336 municipal councils. The election administration at the lower level is multi-party, appointed on the basis of nominations from registered political parties that participated in previous parliamentary elections. Each administration consists of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, three members and an adequate number of substitute members.
Source: OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Report Parliamentary Elections 2011, p. 7
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/FI/finland-final-election-assessment-mission-report/view
Verified: 2018/03/15
EM012
Electoral Management model
Question: What is the Electoral Management model?
Answer:
a . Governmental
Comments:
Source: Election Act 714/1998 as amended, Section 10
Verified: 2019/04/02
EM013
Number of EMB members
Question: The EMB is composed of:
Answer:
d . Other
Comments: The State Provincial Office shall, in good time before parliamentary elections, appoint an electoral district committee for each electoral district referred to in section 5. Its term of office shall continue until a new committee has been appointed. The committee is appointed by the State Provincial Office in whose province the committee meetings are held.
The electoral district committee consists of a chairperson, deputy chairperson and three other members and four deputy members. Both the members and deputy members shall, if possible, represent the political parties which in the previous parliamentary elections nominated candidates and were registered in the register of political parties in the electoral district. The member or deputy member who, according to the candidate application received by the committee, have been nominated as a candidate by a party or a constituency association cannot participate in the work of the committee in the elections in question.
Source: Election Act 714/1998 as amended, Section 11
http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1998/en19980714.pdf
OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Report Parliamentary Elections 2011, p. 7
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/FI/finland-final-election-assessment-mission-report/view
Verified: 2019/04/02
EM014
Membership based on
Question: The EMB members/commissioners are selected on the basis of their:
Answer:
e . No Information Available
Comments: "Guidelines on the mechanisms for nominating electoral committee members could be considered to promote consistency and minimize bias. "
There is nothing in the legal framework on this. The above is from an OSCE observation report
Source: REPUBLIC OF FINLAND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 17 April 2011
OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Report p. 8
http://aceproject.org/regions-en/countries-and-territories/FI/default?set_language=en
Verified: 2018/03/16
EM015
Question: The EMB members/commissioners are selected by:
Answer(s):
c . Executive
Comments: -- It appears that election commissioners are selected by the Ministry of Justice, part of the Government--
The State Provincial Office shall, in good time before parliamentary elections, appoint an electoral district committee for each electoral district referred to in section 5. Its term of office shall continue until a new committee has been appointed. The committee is appointed by the State Provincial Office in whose province the committee meetings are held.
Source: Election Act 714/1998 as amended, Section 11
http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1998/en19980714.pdf
Official Website of the Election Unit of the Ministry of Justice: http://www.vaalit.fi/53561.htm (2012)
Verified: 2018/03/15
The data on this page is continuously updated.
Additional, but potentially outdated material is available here.
