Jouni Ovaska, chairman of the Traffic and Communications Committee for Finland's Centre Party, expressed his outrage over the government's plan to shift electoral data to Amazon Web Services (AWS). He characterized this move as a significant risk to the nation's democracy and security, questioning how the government could make such a decision regarding critical data associated with voting. The transfer of this sensitive information abroad is particularly concerning for Ovaska, who emphasizes the importance of keeping voter data secure and within national jurisdiction.

Last November, it was reported that, as part of the overhaul of the electoral data system, Finland’s voter and candidate registries, along with the election results system, would be housed in a data center located in Sweden, owned by AWS. Ovaska's comments indicate a deep concern for the handling of data that directly influences Finland's democratic processes, stressing that the data involved is not ordinary administrative information, but rather the personal votes of citizens.

This outcry from Ovaska reflects broader anxieties about data sovereignty and political integrity in the digital age, particularly how external entities, especially foreign corporations, manage sensitive governmental data. The implications of such a decision could resonate through Finnish politics, leading to calls for greater oversight and potentially altering the approach to data management in the electoral process going forward, highlighting the tension between technological advancement and national security.