In Finland, a recent report commissioned by the Ministry of Justice highlights the confusion voters experienced during the simultaneous regional and municipal elections held last year. The findings indicate that nearly 40% of voters struggled to distinguish between the two campaigns, leading to a lack of clarity about which election they were participating in. Furthermore, more than a third of voters found it challenging to identify which themes were pertinent to the regional elections versus the municipal elections, illustrating a significant overlap in messaging that complicated the electoral process.

The study also revealed that the presence of double elections made candidate selection difficult for about 25% of voters, with approximately one-third of them facing challenges in deciding which candidates to support. This complexity in the voting process contributed to a high number of invalid votes, with around 82,000 invalid votes cast in regional elections and nearly 39,200 in municipal elections. Many of these invalid votes were attributed to voter protest as well as confusion arising from the simultaneous nature of the elections.

Overall, the report underscores the need for clearer communication and educational efforts aimed at voters regarding the electoral process, especially when multiple elections occur at the same time. Addressing these issues could help improve voter engagement and reduce the number of invalid votes in future elections, ensuring a more straightforward and understandable voting experience for all citizens.