Finland Times

 

File Photo Lehtikuva.

The parliamentary elections will be held across the country today to elect a new government to run the country for the next four years.

 

A total of 42,21237 voters  including 20,48886 men and 21,72351 women will elect  200 lawmakers through exercising their rights of franchise.

 

A total of 2,146 candidates, 1,301 male and 845 female, from 13 electoral districts in the country are contesting the polls, election commission sources said.

 

Twenty-two lawmakers will be elected from Helsinki electoral district, 35 from Uusimaa, 17 from Varsinais-Suomi, 8 from Satakunta, 14 from Häme, 19 from  Pirkanmaa , 17 from Southeast, 16 Savo-Karelia, 16 from Vaasa, 10 from Central Finland, 18 from Oulu, 7 from  Lapland and 1 from Åland electoral district.

 

Earlier, a total of 29,6024 people had already cast votes during the advance voting that took place from April 8 to April 14 in the country and from April 8 to April 11 abroad. The number is about 32 percent of the total voters.

 

File Photo Lehtikuva.

Meanwhile, the authority completed all-out preparations to hold the elections in a peaceful manner and has set up more than 900 polling centres in the country, said sources.

 

Official sources said that 75,000 new voters will cast their votes for the first time this year.

 

Voters must present proof of their identity both when voting and the identification must have a photo on it.

 

The national elections will be held from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

 

Prime Minister Alexander Stubb will cast his vote at the Toppelund Elementary School in Espoo at 10.00 am, said a press release of the Prime Minister’s office.

 

File Photo Lehtikuva.

Meanwhile, the candidates and leaders of the major political parties were found too busy with their last minutes election campaigning at different parts of the country on Saturday, local media reported.

 

The Chief of the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) Alexander Stubb conducted campaigning in Helsinki, Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland) chair Antti Rinne was at the Sello shopping centre in Espoo, Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) leader Timo Soini was in Vantaa, and Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) chair Juha Sipilä was in Helsinki.

 

Earlier, different survey organisations in separate opinion polls forecast the Keskusta as the most favourite to win the polls.