In autumn 2024 and spring 2025 , we presented the activities of TEK's committees (in Finnish). Right now, one of TEK's most topical bodies is the Election Committee, which is responsible for conducting TEK's General Council elections.
What is on the agenda for this group? We asked Esko Korhonen, chair of the Committee.
1. What is the purpose of the Election Committee?
According to TEK's voting and election rules, the board appoints an election committee consisting of a chair and members representing different opinion groups, i.e. council groups, in a balanced manner. The Election Committee is responsible for organising the council elections. In addition, the committee decides on cases of uncertainty regarding voting rights and eligibility, compiles lists of candidates, calculates the election results, handles complaints regarding the election and provides guidance on TEK's election advertising.
2. What is the committee aiming for in these elections?
We are organising the council elections in accordance with TEK's rules. Council elections have been held every three years for decades. Although much remains unchanged, there have also been changes, as the operating environment and the expectations of candidates and members have become more demanding. The Election Committee aims to respond to these changes in partnership with the office's experienced election team.
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3. What has the committee achieved so far?
The biggest change in the upcoming elections is the introduction of electronic voting only, which was one of the first things decided upon by the Election Committee. This was the clearest example of the election regulations' requirement to represent different opinions equally, so an important voting decision was made on the matter. An electronic election compass to facilitate the selection of candidates has already been used in several elections, and its questions have been formulated in different ways, with varying degrees of success. This time, the questions were formulated by Jaakko Kaartinen, Research Director at Taso Research.
4. How does your work improve TEK?
The Election Committee has sought to clarify the organisation of the elections as a whole so it meets current and future requirements and maintain voter turnout.
5. What is the best thing about working on the committee?
As chair, I have had to clarify the rules relating to the elections, which has sometimes been quite challenging. The election committee has brought up different points of view, the work has been discussion-based and consensus has been reached. I would like to express my gratitude to the entire Election Committee, Vice-Chair Mikko Seppäläinen and the experienced election team at the office. Remember to vote electronically between 13 and 30 March.