Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Strandberg, Kim (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)
• Grönlund, Kimmo (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)

Keywords

COVID-19, democracy, elections, municipal elections, political attitudes, political participation, political parties, politicians, politics, voting, voting behaviour

Abstract

This is the second of four survey rounds, which surveyed Finnish citizens' opinions and views on the elections and related topics. This survey focused on the 2021 municipal elections and COVID-19 measures. The data was collected as part of the Citizen Opinion Panel, which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

At the beginning of the survey, respondents were asked for their opinions on the effectiveness of measures implemented in Finland to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Then, they were asked for their views on how well different parties had succeeded in their COVID-19 measures. After that, the survey moved on to questions related to the municipal elections. Initially, respondents were asked about their previous voting behavior in the 2017 municipal elections. Subsequently, they were asked for their opinions on the postponement of the 2021 municipal elections from April to June, as well as their views on the impact of the postponement on voting behavior.

The background variables included are the respondent's age, gender, educational level, native language, region, and political interest.