Ehdokaita

Ehdokaita are individuals who seek elected positions in public office. They may run as members of political parties or as independents. In most jurisdictions, becoming an ehdokas requires meeting legal eligibility criteria such as age, citizenship, and residency, and being formally nominated by a party or registering as a candidate with the electoral authority by a specified deadline. The nomination process may also involve endorsements or signatures from supporters.

Once registered, an ehdokas appears on ballots and, where applicable, on party lists. Candidates campaign to gain votes and, depending on the electoral system, to secure a seat. In proportional representation systems with party lists, the party’s share of the vote determines how many seats it receives, and the order of candidates on the list or individual vote totals help decide which candidates from the list are elected. In open-list systems, voters can influence the individual ranking of candidates on a list; in closed-list systems, the party determines the ranking.

Election day involves voters casting ballots for candidates or lists. After votes are counted, seats are allocated to candidates according to the system in use, and those with the necessary votes or positions on the allocated lists take office. Candidates who are not elected may continue to participate in public life and may run in future elections, subject to campaign finance and transparency rules that govern campaigning.