Authors

• Borg, Sami (Tampere University)
• Nurmela, Sakari (Kantar TNS Finland)
• Pehkonen, Juhani (Kantar TNS Finland)

Keywords

electoral campaigns, electoral candidates, political attitudes, political behaviour, political interest, political parties, voting, voting advice applications, voting behaviour

Abstract

The survey studied voting behaviour in the 2021 county elections in Finland. The data were collected just after the elections.

First, the respondents' opinions on the importance of various elections (e.g. parliamentary, presidential, county, municipal) were surveyed. The respondents were asked whether they had followed election reporting, campaigning and advertising in different media (including the social media such as Facebook). Opinions on the importance of the different services provided by the wellbeing services counties and topics related to the wellbeing services counties were explored.

Voting behaviour was investigated by asking whether the respondents had voted in the county elections just held, which party they had voted for and whether the candidate or the party had been more important in the choice. Information sources used for the voting choice were studied. Those who had voted were asked why they voted, which factors and issues had influenced their candidate choice, and at which stage they had made their final choice. The respondents who had voted were also asked whether they had considered voting for candidates from any of the other parties, and which parties they in general would consider voting for. Those who had not voted were asked which factors (e.g. 'I had trouble finding a suitable candidate for myself”, 'I did not have enough information about topics that are important for me in order to make a decision”) had contributed to that decision.

Next, views on the parties' election campaigns were surveyed. The respondents' views on the desirability of different directions for the future of Finland were investigated with a series of statements (e.g. Finland where there is more law and order, Finland with a smaller public sector, Finland with lower income inequality). The respondents were also asked to assess how left-wing and right-wing several political parties in Finland are. Additionally, the respondents were asked whether they had voted in the 2021 municipal elections and which party/group the candidate they had voted for was from, how well they thought Sanna Marin's government had done so far, and which party/group they would vote for if the parliamentary elections were held right now.

Finally, the respondents' trust in different decision-makers (e.g. national decision-makers, decision-makers in the European Union, decision-makers in the respondent's municipality). The future prospects of the respondents' municipalities of residence were examined in terms of various factors (e.g. the municipality's financial situation, education opportunities, the availability of health and social services). The respondents' views were also charted on various potential threats (e.g. terrorism, mass unemployment, social inequality) that Finland could face in the next five to ten years. In addition, the respondents were asked to name five of the most important languages that Finnish people should learn better than they currently do.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, statistical grouping of municipalities, membership in a federation of trade unions, highest education level, household's annual gross income, and economic activity and occupational status.