Parliamentary elections 2019: Notifications of the right to vote are now posted electronically to Suomi.fi Messages

For the parliamentary elections in 2019, notifications of the right to vote may be accessed for the first time in electronic format instead of being sent in the post. To access your notification of the right to vote in the parliamentary elections, you must be using Suomi.fi Messages by 16.00 on 22 February 20219.

The Population Register Centre will send the notification of the right to vote in the parliamentary elections in 2019 to those eligible to vote whose address is in the Population Information System.  Approximately 4, 470, 000 notifications will be sent out.  However, the more citizens use Suomi.fi Messages, the more taxpayers’ money can be saved in terms of printing and postage costs. 

The European elections take place on 26 May 2019. In addition, if the Finnish Parliament so decides, local elections will be held in autumn 2019. Notification cards for these elections too will be in the Messages service for all citizens who are eligible to vote and using the service.  The notification of the right to vote will also be in the Suomi.fi mobile application for anyone who is using it. 

Notification of the right to vote in the parliamentary elections available in Suomi.fi Messages by 28 February

The notification of the right to vote will be sent to users of the Messages service by 28 February. The notification by post will be sent by 23 March.

The notification card for the right to vote will state the details of the polling station on election day. The letter will be accompanied by a list of advance polling stations in the person’s constituency.

People can vote without a notification of their right to vote. Their identity can be checked at the polling station by means of their identity card issued by the police, a passport, a driving licence or any similar document, as long as it is accompanied by a photograph.

The right to vote in parliamentary elections is determined with reference to the details held in the Population Information System

The municipality (constituency) in which someone who is eligible to do so may vote and the relevant polling station are determined with reference to the details on the person’s permanent place of residence held in the Population Information System as at 16.00 on 22 February 20219.

A person’s permanent place of residence and address are recorded in the Population Information System on the basis of a statutory notification of a change of address made to the Local Register Office. Only notifications of a change of address made before the deadline stated above will be included in the electoral register.

To submit a change of address notification, simply go to http://www.posti.fi/changeaddress/.

Finns resident abroad may make a notification of a change of address in the Population Information System using an electronic form to be completed in the Suomi.fi Web Service or a form that can be printed out from the service.

Other official notifications will be securely available in the Messages service

Those using Suomi.fi Messages can receive notifications from several authorities electronically instead of in the post.  For example, the Finnish Tax Administration, Traficom, many municipalities and the TE services now use the Messages service.

By using Suomi.fi Messages, you at the same time give your general consent for all official notifications to be sent electronically to Suomi.fi Messages. You will receive an email informing you that notifications have arrived. The way messages are sent can be changed later in the service’s settings.

At present the Messages service is used by around 140,000 people and the Suomi.fi mobile application has been downloaded by some 42,000 citizens. The Messages service was introduced in December 2017, replacing the Citizen’s account that was previously in use.

Activate Suomi.fi Messages!

• To activate Suomi.fi Messages you will need online banking identification, a mobile certificate or a certificate card. 
• Log in to the service at Suomi.fi/viestit.
• Give your consent to the electronic exchange of messages. Also state the email address to which you wish to receive notification of incoming messages.  
• You can also download the Suomi.fi application from Google Play or App Store. 
• When you start using Suomi.fi Messages, you at the same time give your general consent for all official notifications to be sent electronically for you to view in the Messages service.