Expat Finns May Get Mail-In Ballots
Mail-in ballots may be a reality in 2011.
Image: YLE uutisgrafiikka
The Ministry of Justice is looking into the possibility of allowing expatriate Finns to cast votes for Finnish elections via mail - something Finns living abroad have requested for a long time.
Currently, Finns abroad have only two possibilities if they want to vote in Finnish elections; they must either vote in Finland or at a Finnish consulate.
"In some large nations like the United States, Canada and Australia, both options are usually very far away," says Arto Jääskeläinen, a top election official at the Ministry.
It's hoped that the mail-in ballot system will be functional by the 2011 Parliamentary elections.
There are currently more than 220,000 Finns living abroad, and the number is growing continuously. Officials believe that postal ballots will significantly increase voter turnout among expats.
YLE