Finland’s voting safeguards help guard against fraud, official says

Electoral fraud is rare in Finland, where voting procedures help protect the system from improper influence, the Ministry of Justice’s director of elections, Arto Jääskeläinen, told Yle.

In Sweden, three people are suspected of improperly influencing parliamentary elections in the Borlänge area. A preliminary investigation into election influence is also under way in Stockholm, and more than 15,000 complaints have been filed over the elections.

Jääskeläinen described the Swedish case as exceptional, saying the alleged conduct could create widespread uncertainty and undermine trust in the electoral and political systems. He said improper attempts to influence elections have become more common in recent years.

Finnish procedures offer safeguards, he said. In Sweden, people may distribute pre-filled ballot papers. In Finland, voters receive a ballot paper at the polling station only after their identity has been checked. Campaigning is also prohibited at polling stations and in their immediate vicinity.

Jääskeläinen said electoral fraud is very uncommon in Finland. Cases that come to light most often involve bribery, and courts seek to handle them carefully.