The Finnish Voter Barometer surveys are commissioned by the major parties in the Parliament. In election years, other sponsors have also been involved. Up till 1988, the surveys were planned by Gallup Finland (TNS Gallup Ltd, Kantar) and the Department of Political and Economic Studies at the University of Helsinki in collaboration with the political parties. After 1988, the planning has been in the hands of Gallup Finland and the parties.
From 1973 to 1990, the annual voter barometers were collected mainly with face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires, 1000-2000 interviews/barometer. Since 1991, the data have been collected with GallupChannel (PC's installed in respondents' homes). No surveys were conducted in 1985 and 1989.
Survey themes include voting behaviour, opinions on the government and the parties, and attitudes towards national political issues. In addition, respondents' economic expectations and political participation have often been studied, as well as their opinions on local politics, and the significance of the party leader to a party. Background variables have often included the social class of the respondent and the household head, economic activity of the household head, respondent's education, age, mother tongue, gender, party membership, political views, trade union membership, and family's annual income. There are also regional variables. Even though the variables are not always fully comparable from one survey to another, all kinds of comparisons over time are possible. The FSD collections cover data from 1973-2005.
The data were collected in two rounds. In the first round, before the 1983 parliamentary elections, the respondents were asked how they had voted in the 1982 presidential elections and in the 1980 municipal elections, and how they were going to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. In the second round, after the elections, the respondents were asked whether they voted or not, when they voted and how interested they were in politics. Several questions focused on the respondent's party loyalty and choice of candidate. In addition, the respondents were asked what they regarded as the most important goals of political activity, and whether they had been involved in the work of various organisations. The respondents assessed different parties, and conflicts of interests between various groups in society.
Background variables included the respondents gender, education, occupation, age, year of birth, number of school-age children, household income, occupation of the head of the household, type of municipality of residence, and province of residence.