Municipal Elections

georgemossford · Post by **georgemossford** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:36 am

I've lived in Finland long enough to vote in the upcoming municipal elections but there's so many candidates that it's impossible to choose. There is a superb online tool that helps people with this (you answer twenty questions, give the topic a priority rating, and then it tells you which candidate on the ballot is your best match) but it's only in Finnish: www.vaalikone.fi. Does anybody know if there is a similar site out there in English?

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Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:08 am

Didn't Phil translate the questions last time round? Or maybe he sent out his own questionnaire. Anyway, I seem to remember he had quite a bit of info on his blog. There have also been some articles in 6 degrees (and I guess in the Helsinki Times also).

Anyway, for what it is worth my advice is:

- chose the party based on their themes or simply based on your own sense of belonging

I guess some of the parties have webpages in English

- then choose your candidate (some candidates have webpages in English)

The vaalikone is fun to play around with and it can lead you towards some potential candidates, but you do need to look at the main themes of the party first because your vote is first and foremost going to that party and the candidate you chose will not necessarily get elected.

The party lists are constructed in such a way that there is a candidate for everyone: male, female, young, old, Swedish speaking, foreigners. Every list has a priest or two and a few teachers and a boring accountant and one or two nice looking charismatic types. There will be someone very local to you, the lists have candidates spread out around the constituency.

But yes, I agree, it ain't easy.

Rick1 · Post by **Rick1** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:52 pm

penelope wrote:The party lists are constructed in such a way that there is a candidate for everyone: male, female, young, old, Swedish speaking, foreigners. Every list has a priest or two and a few teachers and a boring accountant and one or two nice looking charismatic types. There will be someone very local to you, the lists have candidates spread out around the constituency.

But yes, I agree, it ain't easy.

Yes and it might happen that that person runs in the middle of the period to a totally other party

Everything is possible from your money. I am only voting for the person which shows me what he or she has accomplished in the time he/she was in office. Promises do not get my vote. That is why I do not vote. Nice looking charismatic types were a lot of working in banks in the USA, great performers, very quiet now.

DMC · Post by **DMC** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 7:54 am

Rick1 wrote:I am only voting for the person which shows me what he or she has accomplished in the time he/she was in office.

By that logic the best candidate in the world could never get elected for the first time. If someone has accomplished something you respect before entering politics, wouldn't that count for something?

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:25 am

like being a miss Finland or a boxing champion?

DMC · Post by **DMC** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:24 pm

Whatever floats your boat I guess. Each voter gets to decide for themselves what achievements impress them.

Rick1 · Post by **Rick1** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:22 pm

At least we can do with 100 people less

FinnBrit · Post by **FinnBrit** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:10 pm

penelope wrote:Didn't Phil translate the questions last time round? Or maybe he sent out his own questionnaire. Anyway, I seem to remember he had quite a bit of info on his blog.

I checked the archives and the questions were different then (or for a different election). Anyway, the best thing for it would be to ask a friend to translate the questions for you. There is only twenty so it shouldn't take too long and should give you a rough idea of who best matches your philosophy. If you really don't know who to vote for, I would recommend selecting a party (the big three are the SDP (centre-left), Centre-Party, and NCP (Centre-right)) and then choosing the highest rated candidate from that party based on your answers to the Election Machine questions.

FinnBrit · Post by **FinnBrit** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:13 pm

..there is also a full list of all the political parties under 'links' in the board index of finlandforum..

EP · Post by EP » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:15 pm

yes, and remember that so called Center Party (Keskusta) is the good old Maalaisliitto in disguise. With the same goals.

I wonder how many of the younger people remember that.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:55 pm

EP wrote:I wonder how many of the younger people remember that.

Well seeing as they changed their name over 40 years ago, I guess the answer would be "none" ?

Harold Wilson had only just come in for his first term

Phew!

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:34 pm

FinnBrit wrote:If you really don't know who to vote for, I would recommend selecting a party (the big three are the SDP (centre-left), Centre-Party, and NCP (Centre-right)) and then choosing the highest rated candidate from that party based on your answers to the Election Machine questions.

The news site Uusi Suomi runs a blogging system for the candidates. While it is by no means an “official” service, quite a many of them have posted their views on it. If you select your home city or town from the drop-down box (“Hae oma kuntasi”), you’ll get a list of blog entries relevant to that municipality.

Google offers an amusing/confusing interpretation of those blog entries in “English”...

DMC · Post by **DMC** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:28 am

Jukka Aho wrote:The news site Uusi Suomi runs a blogging system for the candidates. While it is by no means an “official” service, quite a many of them have posted their views on it. If you select your home city or town from the drop-down box (“Hae oma kuntasi”), you’ll get a list of blog entries relevant to that municipality.

In my area a grand total of ... none.
If a candidate did have a blog there it might tell something about their views, but you can't read anything into the lack of such a blog. I am curious about where people get the information upon which they decide who will get their vote. Is it from blogs like this? Does anyone know of any research in this area?

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:01 am

DMC wrote: I am curious about where people get the information upon which they decide who will get their vote.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think people actually "know" many of the candidates. I'm a relative newcomer to this area, but still know 3 of our candidates. Family/friends, etc. canvas for their "own" candidate.

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:26 am

And, on a smaller point, if you happen to live in Helsinki, Vantaa, or Espoo (or any of the larger cities, for that matter), it probably DOES matter that your candidate is "local".

For instance, far too many of the members of the Espoo City Council do their council business in Espoon Keskus but live in the fleshpots of Haukilahti or Tapiola or Westend. The same probably goes for Vantaa and for Helsinki in their different ways. If you vote for someone from another part of town, don't be surprised when their neighbours enjoy the new swimming pool or public library you've been hankering after.

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