The Student Union of the University of Vaasa VYY, the Student Union of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences VAMOK, the Student Association at Hanken School of Economics in Vaasa SSHV, the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University ÅAS, the Student Union at Novia University of Applied Sciences Novium, and the student association of the Vaasa Unit of Legal Studies of the University of Helsinki Justus ry have written a joint municipal and county election programme titled A more student-friendly Vaasa.

A more student-friendly Vaasa has

• more affordable housing
• more work and career opportunities
• safer, more sustainable transport
• more seamless care pathways

Take a closer look at our election programme and goals:

In Finnish: Opiskelijaystävällisempi Vaasa: Kunta- ja aluevaaliohjelma 2025

In Swedish: Ett mer studerandevänlig Vasa: Välfärdsområdes- och kommunalvalprogram 2025

In English: A more student-friendly Vaasa: The municipal and county election programme 2025

General information about the elections

The advance voting period in Finland is from April 2 to 8, 2025, and abroad from April 2 to 5, 2025. The election day is on April 13, 2025.

• In the county elections, voters will elect representatives for the County Council of the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia. The council decides on the organisation and provision of health and social services, as well as rescue services.
• In the municipal elections, voters elect representatives for the Vaasa City Council and the city's other decision-making bodies, which decide on the activities and finances of municipalities.

In 2025, the municipal elections and the county elections are held simultaneously. You can vote in both elections at the same time, vote at the different elections on different times, or choose to only vote in one of the elections. The voting is done on two different coloured ballots. The master lists of candidates are also marked in the same colours.

• For the county elections, the ballot and master list of candidates are purple.
• For the municipal elections, the ballot and master list of candidates are white.

Persons living or staying abroad during the advance voting period and election day may vote by post. If you are eligible to vote and wish to vote by post, you must order the postal voting documents, cast your vote, and send it back to the central municipal election board of residence or population registration municipality in Finland. Read more on postal voting on the vaalit.fi website.

Am I eligible to vote?

You do not need to be a Finnish citizen to vote in municipal and county elections.

• For citizens of EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway, if your municipality of residence has been in Finland on the 51st day before election day, you are eligible to vote.
• For citizens of other states, if your municipality of residence has been in Finland for an uninterrupted period of two years, you are eligible to vote in the elections.

Students' vote-together

VYY, VAMOK, and ÅAS organize a students’ “vote-together” for their members.

• WHERE? The Visit Vaasa info point in Vaasa market square
• WHEN? Monday, April 7 at 5 p.m.
• WHAT? Wear your student overalls and come vote in advance! The municipal elections and county elections are held simultaneously. You can vote in both elections at the same time or at different times, or only vote in one of the elections.
• OTHER? Remember to bring your identity card issued by the police, a passport, a driving license, or another official photo ID with you.
• WHY? Students’ voices must be heard in decision-making in the municipality and the wellbeing services county. Come vote for a more student-friendly Vaasa!

Hi candidate, do you commit to making a more student-friendly Vaasa?

On our Instagram profile @ylioppilaskunta, you can find a highlight Vaalit 2025. There you can find our Instagram story for candidates. Screenshot the story, fill it out, and share it in your own Instagram Story. Remember to tag us @ylioppilaskunta. We share all commitments that have tagged us.