A money collection campaign may be organized to support a candidate standing for election to the European Parliament. However, when organizing this so-called electoral money collection campaign, the activities must be arranged in compliance with the Money Collection Act.
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the European Union’s legislative bodies. Every five years, EU-citizens elect Members of the European Parliament in a direct vote arranged in all Member States. The campaigning period began on 9 December 2023 and election day voting takes place on 9 June 2024.
What are the conditions that apply to running a money collection as an electoral money collection campaign?
Candidates cannot run an electoral money collection campaign to raise funds for themselves to cover the costs of their election campaign. An electoral money collection to support a candidate standing for public election may be organized by an association established specifically to support the candidate in question, or a party association.
No permit or small-scale money collection notice is required for electoral money collection. Please bear in mind that the electoral money collection campaign can only be run within a specific period. If you wish to run a money collection campaign outside the statutory period for an electoral money collection, you need a money collection permit or a small-scale money collection notice.
An electoral money collection campaign may be organized to cover the costs of an election campaign that begins, at the earliest, six months before the date of the election, and ends, at the latest, two weeks after the election day.
Unregistered support groups and electoral alliances can run small-scale money collections to raise money to support their candidate. No money collection permit is required for running a small-scale money collection, but a notice must be submitted to the police department about it.
An account of electoral money collection campaign must be submitted by a certain deadline
Regardless of the proceeds of the electoral money collection, the organizer of the electoral money collection shall provide the National Police Board with a settlement of accounts of the electoral money collection, no later than two months after the end of the money collection. You can provide the settlement of accounts on the form available on the police website. When using the form, please bear in mind that the expenses incurred from arranging the collection must first be deducted from the total income of the money collection, and later on, a statement on the use of money left over (net income) must be provided.
Five facts about electoral money collections
An electoral money collection campaign can be organized when
-
the person supported is standing for election in the European Parliament election,
-
the candidates cannot run a money collection campaign to raise funds for themselves or into their personal bank account,
-
a money collection campaign is organized to cover the costs of an election campaign that begins, at the earliest, six months before the date of the election and ends two weeks after the election day at the latest,
-
the funds collected are used in full to cover the costs of the election campaign, and
-
the electoral money collection campaign is organized by an association that supports the candidate, a constituency association already established, or a party association referred to in the Act on Political Parties.
Further information about electoral money collections is available on the police website at poliisi.fi/en/political-money-collection. The page also contains a form, in Finnish and Swedish, for providing a settlement of accounts (rahankeräystilitys yleisissä vaaleissa ehdokkaana olevan tukemiseksi). Further information on small-scale money collections is available on the police website at poliisi.fi/en/small-scale-money-collections.
Further information about elections is available on the elections website of the Ministry of Justice www.vaalit.fi.
