2025 Municipal Elections, sivun otsikko

2025 Municipal Elections

2025 Municipal Elections

In April 2025 voters can choose who they want to represent them in our city council for the next four years. 59 councillors and their substitutes will be elected in Joensuu. The Council will start its term in June 2025.

Why to vote?

Councillors make decisions about very concrete matters that impact our daily lives:

  • schools
  • child day care
  • urban environment and construction
  • services related to physical exercise, culture and well-being.

The ultimate authority in the municipality is vested in the Council. 

Who can vote?

You do not have to be a Finnish citizen to vote on these elections.

The Ministry of Justice has clear information on who can vote. Please visit their page at https://vaalit.fi/en/county-and-municipal-elections

If you have the right to vote, you will receive a polling card in the mail to your home address. If you use the Messages service of the Suomi.fi online service, you will only receive an electronic notification of your right to vote.

If for some reason you have not received the polling card, contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency for assistance.

When can I vote?

  • The 2025 municipal election day is Sunday, 13 April 2025.
  • Voting is open on 13 April from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You can also choose to vote in advance:

  • The advance voting period is from 2 to 8 April 2025 in Finland and from 2 to 5 April 2025 abroad.
  • Voting times differ at the advance polling stations.

Where can I vote?

On the actual election day, 13 April

  • You can only vote at the polling station that has been assigned to you in the Voting Register.
  • The information about your polling station can be found on the polling card and on the Suomi.fi online service.

In advance (in Finland 2 to 8 April)

  • You can vote at any advance polling station, also outside of Joensuu.
  • The polling card includes a list of the voter’s advance polling stations nearby.

Polling stations on the actual municipal elections day April 13

Polling stations on the actual election day April 13

Advance polling stations April 2–8

Advance polling stations April 2–8

2021 Municipal Elections, Voting in the municipal elections on the election day

You can see the location of the polling station in Google Maps by clicking the name or address of the polling station.

Elections - How to find a candidate?

How to find a candidate?

Find out the number of your candidate in advance. The numbers are available, for example, on the elections website of the Ministry of Justice, candidates’ election pages, election ads or the candidate list which is visible at the polling station.

Voting instructions

  • Bring your personal identification document with a photo, such as your driving licence, identity card, passport or Kela card with a photo, with you to the polling station.
  • If you do not have a personal identification document, you can obtain a temporary identity card from the police station in order to vote.
  • Bring the mailed polling card with you, in case there are ambiguities in the voting right clarification. However, the polling card is not mandatory. Note also that it's not a sufficient proof of identity.

What if I need help with voting?

  • If you need an assistant, you can ask an election official at the polling station to help you with voting-related issues.
  • If the voter’s ability to write down the number of the candidate is substantially deteriorated, the voter can choose to use their own assistant. The assistant helping to write down the number on the election day may be an electoral assistant appointed by the electoral committee or selected by the voter themselves.

Municipal Elections, Voting from home

Voting from home

A person can vote in advance from home if the person’s ability to move or function is limited to the extent that they cannot access a domestic advance voting station or a polling station on the election day without unreasonable difficulty.

In this case, an election official appointed by the municipality’s electoral committee arrives to the voter’s home at the agreed time to receive the vote.

The family carer pursuant to the Act on Support for Informal Care (937/2005) living in the same household may also vote in connection with the home voting. If the family carer wishes to vote, this must be reported to the municipality’s electoral committee simultaneously when registering for the home voting.

A person who has turned 18 appointed or approved by the voter must also be present during the home voting. This person may not be a candidate in the elections.

The voter of the 2025 elections must report their wish to vote from home by 1 April 2025 at 16:00 to the City of Joensuu’s electoral committee either

  • in writing to the address PO Box 59, 80101 Joensuu
  • by calling the number 050 475 5186 (Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m.)

County elections

County elections are held at the same time as municipal elections. In the county elections, you can vote for a candidate for a regional council to decide on social and health services and emergency services.

North Karelians who are entitled to vote can vote for any candidate in the county's regional council, whether or not they live in the same municipality as the candidate. The candidates for the regional elections are here.

Voting locations and times are the same as for the municipal elections.

More information on both elections on several languages: https://vaalit.fi/en/county-and-municipal-electionsections