Finns’ certainty over voting in upcoming municipal elections is declining

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The eagerness of Finnish citizens to go out and vote seems to be slackening off, particularly in the Helsinki area and in Uusimaa. According to a poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat  and conducted by Suomen Gallup, barely half of voting-age Finns are now certain to cast ballots in the upcoming municipal elections in October.
      In the previous opinion poll in August, as many as 52% of all Finns were sure that they would vote. In comparison, the number of sure voters in Helsinki was 62% and in Uusimaa 59% in August, while this latest poll shows that in Helsinki now only 49% of voters planned to cast ballots and in Uusimaa 52%.
      Typically, the number of certain voters tends to increase rather than wane as the elections approach. If the citizens’ eagerness to vote grows towards the date of the actual elections it will be possible to reach the same level as in the previous municipal poll in 2000, when 56% of eligible voters cast ballots.
     
Certainty to vote is particularly low among young people compared with other age groups. Only 22% of young people said that they were sure that they would vote. On the other hand, among those over 64 years of age, the level was as high as 67%. 
      A breakdown by profession shows that 61% of those in a professional position said that they were certain to vote, whereas only 35% of workers were sure to cast ballots.
      A breakdown by party affiliation shows that sure voters are found more than average among the supporters of the Social Democratic Party, the National Coalition Party, and the Left Alliance.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Poll: Centre Party still slightly ahead of SDP (27.9.2004)
  Poll: Just over half of Finns plan to vote in municipal elections (31.8.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat