Finland comprises 19 regions, called maakunta in Finnish and landskap in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition, the public health services are usually organized on the basis of regions. Currently, the only region where a popular election is held for the council is Kainuu. Other regional councils are elected by municipal councils, each municipality sending representatives in proportion to its population.
There are four types of elections in Finland. Each Finnish citizen at least 18 years of age has the right to vote in each of the elections, which decide the following: the president, the parliament, the MEPs, and the municipal and city councils.
Åland elects on a regional level a legislature. The diet (Lagtinget) has 30 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. Åland has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
The Åland Centre is an agrarian-centrist political party in the Åland Islands. At the 2003 election, the party won 24.1% of the popular vote and 7 out of 30 seats and became on a par with the Liberals of Åland. On the October 21st, 2007, parliamentary election, the party won 24.2% of the popular vote and 8 out of 30 seats. At the election in 2011 it became the strongest party with 23.6% and 7 out of 30 seats, but lost this position to the Liberals at the election in 2015 with 21.7% and 7 out of 30 seats.
The Åland Social Democrats is a social-democratic political party in the Åland Islands. In the 18 October 2015 parliamentary elections, the party won 17.4% of the popular vote and 5 out of 30 seats, a loss of one.
The Moderates of Åland was a conservative and liberal-conservative political party on the Åland Islands. At the 2003 elections, the party won 13.6% of popular votes and 4 out of 30 seats. The current party leader is Johan Ehn. In the 21 October 2007 parliamentary elections, the party won 9.5% of the popular vote and 3 out of 30 seats, a loss of one.
The Future of Åland is a separatist political party on the Åland Islands. The goal of the party is to make Åland an independent state. At the 2003 elections, the party won 6.5% of popular votes and 2 out of 30 seats. In the 21 October 2007 parliamentary elections, the party won 8.1% of the popular vote and 2 out of 30 seats. In the 2011 elections, the party won 9.7% of the vote and 3 out of 30 seats. In the 2015 elections, the party won 7.4% and 2 seats.
The Åland Islands are represented by a single seat in the Parliament of Finland. Whilst the rest of the Parliament is elected by proportional representation in multi-member constituencies, the islands have a single-member constituency. In the event the Åland seat becomes vacant, a replacement is chosen as in other electoral districts, with one key difference: if a replacement is not available, a new election for the seat must be held as soon as possible. During other elections, such as presidential elections or elections for the European Parliament, the entire country of Finland, including Åland, forms a single electoral district.
Åland held legislative elections on 19 October 2003. It elected the diet (Lagtinget), which has 30 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. Though the Åland Centre recorded its worst results to date in the elections, it regained its status as the largest party on Åland, beating out the Liberals for Åland by a mere 10 votes. The Åland Social Democrats had one of its best election results ever, doubling its representation in the Lagting.
Åland held legislative elections on 17 October 1999. It elected the diet (Lagtinget), which has 30 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. It was the first election contested by the Åland Centre in which it did not become the largest party, narrowly losing out to the Liberals for Åland.
Åland held legislative elections on 20 October 1991. It elected the diet, which has 30 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation.
Åland held legislative elections on 18 October 1987. It elected the diet, which has 30 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation.
The 2007 Åland legislative election was held on 21 October 2007 in the Åland Islands for the Lagting, the regional parliament of Åland. All 30 seats were up for election to four-year terms using proportional representation. The Åland Progress Group did not participate in the elections, as its sole member of the Lagting, Ronald Boman, opted to retire, while a new organisation, the HUT Group, unsuccessfully contested its first election.
The Åland Islands or Åland is an archipelago province at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea belonging to Finland. It is autonomous, demilitarised and is the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in Finland. It is the smallest region of Finland, constituting 0.49% of its land area and 0.50% of its population.
The Åland Coalition is a political alliance of the main political parties in the Åland Islands formed to contest the Åland seat in the Parliament of Finland. Its representative usually sits with the Swedish People's Party faction in Parliament.
Legislative elections were held in the Åland Islands on 18 October 2015, alongside elections for 16 municipal councils: Mariehamn town, 9 rural socken on the main island, Fasta Åland, and 6 skerries socken.
Legislative elections were held in the Åland Islands on 17 and 18 October 1971.
Legislative elections were held in the Åland Islands on 2 and 3 September 1967.
Legislative elections were held the Åland Islands on 15 June 1954.
Legislative elections were held the Åland Islands on 15 June 1960.
