Central Election Committee March 24, 2026

The Central Election Committee proposes to select Administrative Secretary Sonja Heinisuon as secretary of the central election committee for the upcoming election. The secretary's duties would include organizing elections, recruiting and training election officials, and being responsible for the practical arrangements of elections. Additionally, it is proposed to select two substitute persons and to grant the secretary the right to appoint other necessary personnel for organizing parliamentary elections.

The Central Election Committee conducts a preliminary discussion on advance voting locations and their opening hours for the 2027 parliamentary elections. In the 2025 elections, three advance voting locations were used: Lempäälä House, Ideapark, and Sääksjärvi Library, but the library space has proven too cramped for the increased number of voters and has caused congestion. The Central Election Committee is considering replacing Sääksjärvi Library with another location that better meets accessibility and space requirements. Additionally, they are evaluating whether the opening hours of advance voting locations can be shortened, as there have been few voters in the evenings between 7-8 PM.

The Central Election Committee processes a proposal to appoint a new substitute council member for the SDP, as Anu Pellikka has requested resignation from her duties as municipal councillor and vice-chairperson of the audit committee for personal reasons. According to the law, after granting the resignation, the next SDP substitute candidate from the candidate list must be called to replace her. The Central Election Committee's task is to appoint a new substitute council member to fill the vacant position for the remaining term of office. This is a standard procedure when a councillor resigns during their term.

The Central Election Committee begins preparations for the 2027 parliamentary elections by conducting a preliminary discussion on polling station arrangements. The election day is Sunday, April 18, 2027, and polling stations will be open from 9 AM to 8 PM. In the 2025 elections, eight polling stations were used in Lempäälä, where a total of over 5,000 voters cast their votes. It is now proposed to discuss which locations should be selected as polling stations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The central election board conducts a preliminary discussion on the arrangements for the 2027 parliamentary elections, as the elections will be held on April 18, 2027, and advance voting during the week of April 7-13, 2027. The municipality is responsible for, among other things, election information, training of election personnel, arrangements for advance and home voting, as well as election day voting arrangements. The purpose of the discussion is to review practical preparations and division of responsibilities for the smooth implementation of the upcoming elections.

The central election committee is proposed to approve the meeting agenda and the order of handling matters. According to the administrative regulations, meeting matters are handled primarily in the order specified in the agenda, but the committee may change the order if necessary or take up other matters for consideration. This is a standard meeting opening procedure to confirm the order of matters to be handled.

The Central Election Committee addresses several current matters in its meeting. The agenda includes planning arrangements for election advertising frames for the 2027 parliamentary elections and agreeing on the timing of the committee's next meeting. Additionally, possible disqualification issues will be reviewed. The matters are proposed to be noted for information without separate decisions.