Image from YLE
Advance voting for the next Finnish president is currently underway. Former finance minister, National Coalition Party candidate Sauli Niinistö and Green League candidate and former environmental minister Pekka Haavisto are vying for the seat occupied by Tarja Halonen for the past 12 years.
In the first round of the election Niinistö coasted to an easy victory with 37 percent of the vote, while Haavisto earned 18.8 percent and ousted many high-profile candidates with his second-place finish. Haavisto has drummed up notable grassroots support, and he’s the first openly gay candidate to run for the Finnish presidency. Niinistö’s supporters, meanwhile, often cite his breadth of political experience, and he is considered the likely winner; a recent survey revealed up to 65 percent of voters to be supporting him.
Expatriate Finns can cast their votes from today until Saturday, January 28th. New York’s polling station is the Finnish Consulate at 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 250, where the doors will be open from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm from today until Friday, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday. For more information on where and how to vote, visit the Ministry of Justice’s web site.
