Both county and municipal elections in Finland will be held on Sunday 13 April 2025. Electoral money collection campaigns may be held without the need for a money collection permit or notification of a small-scale money collection to support election candidates. However, organisers of electoral money collection campaigns should bear in mind certain criteria laid down in law.
Political parties or associations established solely for the benefit of an election candidate may hold an electoral money collection. An electoral money collection is a money collection limited to a specific purpose and for a specific period of time for which there is no need to provide prior notification or apply to the authorities for a permit. Under the Money Collection Act, a collection may only take place during the campaign period and the funds raised must be used to cover the candidate’s election campaign costs. The National Police Board of Finland emphasises that under no circumstances may an election candidate hold a money collection campaign for their own benefit.
Where money is collected for a purpose other than to cover the costs of the election campaign, the association must apply to the National Police Board for a money collection permit or submit a notification of a small-scale money collection campaign to the local police department.
Submission of electoral money collection campaign accounts to the National Police Board
The organiser of an electoral money collection campaign must submit accounts for the campaign to the National Police Board. Regardless of the amount of funds raised, or whether or not the candidate was elected, it is mandatory to submit accounts whenever an electoral money collection campaign has been held where the public have been asked for monetary donations.
It is recommended to submit the accounts for an electoral money collection campaign as soon as possible and, by law, within two months of the end of the electoral money collection campaign. The accounts must provide the following information:
- the organiser of the electoral money collection campaign
- the proceeds of the electoral money collection campaign
- information about the use of the funds raised
- itemised costs incurred from holding the electoral money collection campaign
- the period during which the electoral money collection campaign was held
- an account statement or other reliable evidence of the use of the money collection account during the campaign period
- if the organiser of the electoral money collection campaign has an auditor, an auditor’s opinion must be attached to the accounts
The National Police Board recommends the use of the electoral money collection accounting form (in Finnish and Swedish) available on the police website. The electoral money collection campaign accounts and attachments can also be emailed to arpajaishallinto@poliisi.fi or sent by regular mail to:
National Police Board of Finland
Gambling Administration
PO Box 50
11101 Riihimäki
