Finland uses a proportional representation system with open party lists, allowing voters to choose individual candidates rather than simply voting for a party. The system is designed to ensure that parliamentary seats are distributed roughly in proportion to the number of votes each party receives.
Parliamentary elections are held every four years to elect members of the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta).
Electoral districts
Finland is divided into 13 electoral districts, each of which elects a certain number of members of parliament based largely on population size.
Larger districts elect more representatives, while smaller districts elect fewer. In total, 200 members of parliament are elected to the Eduskunta.
Political parties nominate candidates in each district, and independent candidates may also run.
Open list voting
Finland uses an open list voting system, which means voters cast their vote directly for a specific candidate rather than only selecting a political party.
Each candidate belongs to a party list within the electoral district. When a voter chooses a candidate, the vote also counts toward the party’s total number of votes in that district.
Within each party, candidates are ranked according to the number of personal votes they receive.
The d’Hondt method
Seats in each electoral district are distributed using the d’Hondt method, a widely used formula in proportional representation systems.
First, the total number of votes received by each party in the district is calculated. The d’Hondt formula then determines how many seats each party receives based on its vote share.
Once the number of seats for each party is determined, those seats go to the candidates within the party who received the most personal votes.
Presidential and European elections
Finland also holds presidential elections, in which the president is elected through a direct popular vote. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes in the first round, a second round is held between the two leading candidates.
In addition, Finnish voters elect representatives to the European Parliament.
The bottom line
Finland’s electoral system combines proportional representation with strong personal voting. Voters choose individual candidates, but the overall distribution of seats still reflects the total support each party receives. This approach aims to balance party representation with voter influence over which candidates are elected.
