Ehdokaslistojen

Ehdokaslistojen is a Finnish term referring to lists of candidates presented by political parties or candidate groups for elections. These lists are used in proportional representation systems at national, regional, and local levels, such as parliamentary, municipal, and European Parliament elections. The concept embodies how voters choose among named candidates connected to a party or group.

In Finland, many elections operate with open candidate lists. While parties publish an ordered list of their nominees, voters can influence the outcome by casting personal votes for individual candidates. The number of seats a party obtains is determined by a party’s overall vote share, and within the allocated seats, candidates with the most personal votes secure the seats. The ordering on the list matters less for the final result than the personal support individual candidates receive.

Ehdokaslistojen are prepared by political parties or groups and submitted to the relevant electoral authority ahead of each election. They must meet legal requirements set out in the applicable election legislation, including eligibility conditions for candidates and the information that must accompany each list. The lists also interact with party branding, symbols, and district considerations, which can influence how votes translate into representation.

The term underscores the procedural and strategic aspects of elections: how parties assemble teams of candidates, how voters engage with those candidates, and how electoral rules translate votes into seats. Ehdokaslistojen usage varies by election type and jurisdiction within Finland, but the underlying principle remains the same—matching candidates to voters through organized lists.