At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Finland

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Tarja HALONEN
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN
• Assembly: Finland has a unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta) with 200 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 6-year term.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the president with the approval of the parliament.
• In the Parliament (Eduskunta) 200 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms.***

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

• Tarja HALONEN
  • Party: Social Democratic Party
• Sauli NIINISTÖ
  • Party: National Coalition Party

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Tarja HALONEN
  • Party: Social Democratic Party
• Sauli NIINISTÖ
  • Party: National Coalition Party
• Matti VANHANEN
  • Party: Centre Party
• Heidi HAUTALA
  • Party: Green League
• Timo SOINI
  • Party: True Finns
• Bjarne KALLIS
  • Party: Christian Democrats
• Henrik LAX
  • Party: Swedish People's Party
• Arto LAHTI
  • Party: Independent

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was held on January 16, 2000 and February 6, 2000. Tarja HALONEN (SDP) was elected president with 51.6% of the vote against Esko AHO (Kesk) with 48.4%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 5,266,268 (2006)
• Registered Voters: 4,272,537 (January 2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,687,771 (2006)

·         Is Finland a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Finland ratified CEDAW: Yes (4 September 1986)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 75 (following the 2003 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 24 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Finland a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Finland ratified CRPD: Yes (11 May 2016)

·         Population with a disability: 789,940 (est.)