HS Gallup: Finns' eagerness to vote seems to be increasing

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The eagerness of Finnish citizens to go out and vote in the March elections seems to have been heading upwards since the beginning of January. A recent poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by Suomen Gallup shows that the percentage of those Finns who are certain to cast ballots has risen to 61 per cent from the 59 per cent at the beginning of January. However, the slight change is clearly within the margins of error.
     
The interpretation of the results is difficult, as also the percentage of uncertain voters has grown from nine to ten per cent.
      In the light of this survey, there is no use trying to predict the final voting percentage, as there are still more than four weeks to go. Four years ago, a similar survey conducted around the same time indicated more or less the same figures, while the final voting turnout in the elections was around 70 per cent.
     
One reason for the growing eagerness to vote is the fact that the upcoming elections are already being advertised both in public places and in the media. By the end the survey, all political parties had launched their election campaigns and the first debates of party leaders had been aired on TV.
     
The percentage of those respondents who were absolutely certain that they would cast ballots in the March elections was the highest among the supporters of the Left Alliance and the National Coalition Party. Some 92 per cent of Left Alliance supporters and 74 per cent of National Coalition Party supporters said that they were absolutely sure that they would vote in the next elections.
      The corresponding figure for the Centre Party was 67 per cent. With the Social Democrats it was 66 per cent, and with the Greens just 63 per cent.
     
As usual, voter loyalty to the ballot-box increases with the years. The proportion of those who are certain to vote has increased most among traditionally lazy voters aged 18 to 25. Even the voting enthusiasm of middle-aged citizens appears to be on the increase.
     
Of the large and medium-sized parties, the supporters of the Greens were the most uncertain ones, even though the voting eagerness of them and of the Left Alliance had grown most since the beginning of January.
      The poll involved telephone interviews with 1,400 Finns at the turn of the months of January and February. The margin of error was up to 2.5 percentage points in either direction. The question asked was: "How certain are you about voting in the upcoming Parliamentary elections?"


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Poll indicates public more eager to vote than in 1999 Parliamentary election (27.1.2003)

Links:
  Ministry of Justice: Parliamentary Elections 2007

Helsingin Sanomat