Proposals to redraw northern Finland’s electoral districts face opposition from Kainuu and Koillismaa MPs

Plans to merge electoral districts in northern Finland have met resistance from lawmakers and regional officials in Kainuu and Koillismaa, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The proposals, aimed at lowering the high effective voting threshold in small districts such as Lapland, would combine votes across neighbouring regions. One suggestion would merge the Oulu and Lapland districts, while another—put forward by Lapland MP Heikki Autto (National Coalition Party)—would create a single district covering Lapland, Kainuu, and Koillismaa.

Kainuu Regional Council has rejected both models, arguing that Finland should instead adopt a uniform electoral system nationwide. Council director Riikka Pirkkalainen criticised the idea of differing systems across the country and questioned the fairness of Lapland’s high threshold.

Centre Party MP Olga Oinas-Panuma, representing Pudasjärvi, dismissed the proposals, citing impractical distances—such as the over 800-kilometre stretch from Kuhmo to Utsjoki—and warned that splitting regions like Koillismaa from Oulu would weaken advocacy efforts. She argued that addressing depopulation, rather than redrawing districts, should be the priority.

Former Finns Party MP Mikko Polvinen, now with the Centre Party, remained open to the Lapland proposal but stressed that Kainuu would not lose significantly under the plan. Like others, he favoured a consistent national system.

A previous 2025 parliamentary working group proposal to move Kainuu from the Oulu district to an eastern Finland district with North Savo and North Karelia was also opposed by the regional council, though Polvinen indicated a preference for that model over the Lapland-Kainuu combination.