Voting

[elfbiter]

Pre-voted today. The presidential election is at January 15th, but I'll be in the polling station as a vice-member of the local election committee and, at the end of the day, counting ballots. Therefore, I voted in advance. No, I am not member of any political party but I'll get paid for it - eventually

Comments

[pompe]

I'm an election offical too - not in the Finnish election, obviously, and I think there only are thirty or so places in Sweden acting as ragular voting station for the Finnish election.

But I usually don't vote in advance, I just vote during one of the breaks as the district I live in is one of the other districts in some other hall of the same school building the district I'm official for also votes in.

So, who will win?

[elfbiter]

I'm assigned to the district neighbouring one I would otherwise go to vote and breaks are relatively short, so I voted in advance; not to mention that it is a "recommended procedure". Both districts are in the outer suburbs of Tampere/Tammerfors and distance is about a kilometer. In the center there are couple of overlapping ones that have the polling station in the same building.

It's hard to say who would win, but I think only three of the candidates have any realistic chances; incumbent president Halonen, prime minister Vanhanen or ex-finance minister Niinistö.

[pompe]

In Sweden, voting districts follow the old church districts, but they are generally too big in towns and cities, so those are sub-divided. So mine is divided into twelve, I think, sub-districts. And often all or many of those are using the same place on the elections.

Actually is a problem sometimes on the election days - people don't know what district they belong to because it isn't automatic these days people know what church they fall under.

[elfbiter]

Borders of Finnish voting districts vary widely based of population density and sometimes at least appear arbitraty. Often, like in Tampere, most polling stations are in schools and people are divided in districts based on their street address. It is still complex enough that some people are always confused and we have to tell them the correct voting place.