- The overall turnout was high
With the 2024 Finnish presidential election just around the corner, experts' observations suggest that high turnout will be a prominent feature. Due to the uncertainty of the international situation, there is a strong interest in who will run Finland's affairs in the international arena, which will have a direct impact on the willingness of voters to vote.
司法部选举主任Arto Jääskeläinen
Arto Jääskeläinen, Electoral Director of the Ministry of Justice, said: "We live in a very volatile world. This makes people think about the importance of democratic rights and the use of democratic rights. He pointed out that the uncertainty of the international situation has led to a greater focus on elections, hoping to vote to express their expectations for the future direction of the country.
Sami Borg, an election expert at the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation and director of research at the Municipal Development Foundation, agrees that Finland's international political status, NATO membership and strong candidate support will all be factors that will attract voters to the polls. He said that these factors will directly affect the willingness of voters to vote, resulting in a significant increase in turnout.
According to Jääskeläinen and Borg's observations, they expect turnout in this presidential election to exceed 75 percent due to record-breaking early voting. This high turnout not only reflects voters' concern and expectations for the future development direction of the country, but also reflects the importance that people attach to democratic rights and worry about the international situation.
Against such a backdrop, candidates will face more fierce competition and will need to win the support of voters through more effort and practical actions. At the same time, political groups and social organizations will also actively participate in the election activities to guide and encourage more people to participate in the election and jointly contribute to the future development of the country.
- There are many voters who have not yet made a decision
About a quarter of voters said they had not yet made a decision and that they planned to make a final decision on election day, according to a poll released by the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation (Yle) on Thursday. This means that on the eve of Election Day, a candidate's support can fluctuate wildly, and the final result can be unexpected.
Jussi Hara-Aho (Finn)
For candidates, this could mean that candidates who do not fully mobilize their supporters in the election may get a higher share of the vote in the live vote than the poll figures, especially Jussi Hara-Aho (Finn) and, to some extent, Pekka Haavisto (Greens/independents). Therefore, they need to keep an eye on this segment of the electorate that has not yet made a decision to ensure that they can win the support of this segment of the electorate.
For this group of voters who have yet to make a decision, they may be weighing a variety of factors, including the candidate's policies, leadership, and vision for Finland's future. Therefore, candidates need to convey their policy ideas and ideas to this group of voters in various ways to win their support.
In addition, this group of voters who have not yet made a decision may be affected by external factors on Election Day, such as media coverage, last-minute performance of candidates, etc. Therefore, candidates need to pay close attention to these factors and adjust their campaign strategies in time to ensure that they can gain the support of this segment of the electorate on election day.
- Young people are likely to increase their turnout
Finland's 2024 presidential election is in the spotlight as observations of young voter turnout suggest they may play a more important role in this election. A comparison of parliamentary election data for 2015 and 2023 shows that the percentage of people under the age of 25 who voted increased by 10 percentage points. This means that younger people are more involved in politics, which could have a significant impact in the 2024 presidential election.
Older people have long been a more active group of voters, with their turnout generally being higher. However, with young people's increased interest and participation in politics, it is entirely possible that we could see a significant increase in youth turnout in 2024, although this is not common in Finland's electoral history.
Rising turnout among young voters could have a significant impact on election outcomes. They often have different concerns than older voters, such as education, employment, and environmental protection. Therefore, political candidates and political parties need to pay more attention to the demands of young people and formulate policies to attract their support. It will also push candidates to pay more attention to the needs and interests of young people, which in turn will move the political agenda towards a more inclusive and pluralistic direction.
In addition, with the popularity of social media and the Internet, it is easier for young people to access and disseminate information, which further stimulates their interest and desire to participate in politics. Political candidates and political parties need to be adept at using new media platforms to communicate and interact more effectively with young voters to win their support and trust.
However, there are some challenges to rising turnout among young voters. For example, they may lack sufficient knowledge and awareness of politics and are susceptible to disinformation and rumors. Therefore, governments and educational institutions need to strengthen political education and information literacy training for young people to help them better understand and participate in political decision-making.