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Student Union Council Elections

The Student Union Council Elections 2025 is almost here!

Vote here! (only available during election days)

Student Union Council Elections in a nutshell

Every two years all members of the Student Union vote in the Student Union Council Elections. There, a new Student Union Council is elected for the following two calendar years, that gets to make decisions regarding the Student Union. The people elected in this election will thus lead the Student Union during the period 2026–2027. 

You are eligible to vote and run as candidate if you are a member of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University (ÅAS), which you are if you are enroled as a degree student (bachelor’s and/or master’s degree) at Åbo Akademi University. As a post-graduate student or exchange student, you can become a member by paying the Student Union membership fee.

Election compass for the Student Union’s Council Elections 2025

Here you can check which candidate is the best for you. 

The election compass is provided by The National Union of University Students in Finland (FSF). 

Links

Forms

Please note that the forms are only available in Swedish!

  • Blankett för bildande av valförening 
  • Förteckning över valföreningens kandidater 
  • Kandidatblankett 

What is the Student Union Council Election? 

Every two years all members of the Student Union vote in the Student Union Council Elections. There, a new Student Union Council is elected for the following two calendar years, that gets to make decisions regarding the Student Union. 

The Student Union Council is the highest decision-making body of the Student Union. The Council makes decisions on, inter alia, the Student Union’s budget and guidelines, and supervises the work of the ÅAS Executive Board. The Council also chooses student representatives and elects the members of the Executive Board. The people elected in this election will thus lead the Student Union during the period 2026–2027. 

How and when do I vote? 

Voting starts on 3 November 2025 at 9 am and finishes at 6 November 2025 at 3 pm. 

The Student Union Council Election is done completely electronically. To vote in the election, a ÅAU username and password is required. A link to the electronic voting will be posted on ÅAS’s webpage.

If there are any issues during the voting, please contact the Secretary General (gs@studentkaren.fi). 

How do I know if I can vote or be a candidate? 

If you are a member of the Student Union, you have the right to both vote and be a candidate yourself. You are a member if you are enroled as a degree student (bachelor’s and/or master’s degree) at Åbo Akademi University. As a post-graduate student, you can become a member by paying the Student Union membership fee.  

The right to vote is based on the student register of Åbo Akademi University before 23 September 2025 and can be reviewed during the period of 23–25 September 2025 at: 

  • The Student Union’s office in Åbo, Tavastgatan 22, 3rd floor, from noon to 3 p.m. 
  • The Student Union’s office in Vasa, Havtornen, Inre Hamnen, from noon to 3 p.m.  

If any faults are found in the list of eligible voters which affects eligibility to vote or run as a candidate, please make a written demand for correction to Secretary General (gs@studentkaren.fi) during the time right to vote can be examined. 

I want to create an election association! 

Excellent! 

Anyone who wants to run as a candidate in the Student Union Council Election must belong to an election association. Every election association has an ombud, who is the contact person for the association. The Student Council Election Committee sends all information to the ombud, who, in turn, sends the information to the candidates. The person who is the ombud is not obligated to be a candidate for the election association, nor to vote for the election association! 

Before you can create an election association, you need the support of at least 15 members of the Student Union. This means that you need to get at least 15 people who are members of the Student Union to sign a form stating that they support the creation of your election association. You can find the form for creating an election association in the list of forms on the first page. Please note that the form is only available in Swedish. After you have received the signatures, the form should be turned in to the Student Union’s office, either in Åbo or Vasa. The people who sign the form are not obligated to run as candidates for the election association, nor to vote for the election association! 

When you have turned in the form to create an election association, it is time to recruit candiates. Recruitment must be done in accordance with the ethical rules the Election Committee has given! Every election association can have a maximum of 50 candidates. In the list of forms on the first page you can also find a candidate form, which all candidates must fill out, as well as a form to list all the candidates that the election association’s ombud fills out.  

Please note that the forms are only available in Swedish. Remember to read the information on the forms well, and to turn them in to the Student Union’s office before the deadline. 

I want to run as a candidate! 

Excellent! 

Please note that the Student Union Council uses Swedish as work language and is currently unable to provide translators and translated documents. This means that anyone who wants to be a member of the Student Union Council should be proficient in Swedish. 

Anyone who wants to run as a candidate in the Student Union Council Election must belong to an election association. You can find the list of election associations here under Election Associations. To be able to run as a candidate you need to fill out the form to state that you want to run as a candidate. You also need to make sure that you are included on the list of the election association’s candidates. All forms are available on the first page in Swedish only. 

Remember to read the information on the forms well, and to turn them in to the Student Union’s office before deadline. 

Is it possible to form an electoral coalition? 

According to the Student Union’s rules for Student Union Elections it is possible for two or more election associations to create an electoral coalition. To create an electoral coalition, a free form agreement must be sent to gs@studentkaren.fi by 12 October 2025 at 3 p.m.  

An election association may only belong to one electoral coalition. 

Who should I vote for? 

Through the election compass, you can check which candidate is most aligned with you and suits you best. You can also get to know the other candidates and election associations via their own channels. Posters with information about the election associations and their candidates are put up in buildings around the Åbo Akademi University campus. 

Candidates and Election Associations in the Student Union of ÅAU’s Student Union Council Elections 2025

All who are interested in running as candidates in the ÅAS Council Election must belong to an election association. The following associations and candidates are running in the ÅAS Council Election:

 

Rödgröna listan

2 Niklas Vaulanen
3 Matti Saarinen
4 Sam Sågfors
5 Niko Sandberg
6 Charlotta Ekman

Contact person: Niklas Valunanen

SF-listan (@sfklubben)

  • Inclusivity

7 Anton Gröning
8 Hannes Ulfvens
9 Antonia Holmberg
10 Lina Kronström

Kontaktperson: Karin Holmberg

  • karin.holmberg@abo.fi

MK-listan

11 Lotta Nurminen
12 Lina Hermansson
13 Malva Sjöblom
14 Aada Järvinen
15 Isabel Björklöf
16 Dennis Söderling
17 Greta Mäkelä
18 Minea Salminen
19 Wilma Alho
20 Lucia Stenger
21 Valentin Vainio
22 Martin Påwals
23 Axel Bondestam
24 Markus Huurinainen
25 Mikael Lehtinen
26 Max Kaituri
27 Robin Seppälä
28 Eddie Bäckström
29 Tony Bergman
30 Maria Smeds
31 Sini Piippo
32 Emilia Degerth
33 Madeleine Lönnqvist
34 Samuel Valjus
35 Julia Stenhammar
36 Tim Frank
37 Tristan Rantanen
38 Viktoria Björn

Contact person: Minea Salminen

DKL-listan (@dkl_listan)

  • Promote active participation in the ÅAS Council Election
  • Students’ well-being in challenging times
  • Community is fostered through our study spaces

39 Jesper Öhman
40 Oliver Söderström
41 Rasmus Österlund
42 Benjamin Hjelt
43 Linda-Maria Franz
44 Jacob Rönnberg
45 Ronja Eklund

Kontaktperson: Jesper Öhman

FNT-list

  • Appropriate spaces for associations and spaces to study on campus

46 Risto Ruohola
47 Tilde Strömsbäck
48 Kevin Hede
49 Felicia Lindström
50 Joel Saarinen
51 Liam Söderlund
52 Ida Puskala
53 Rebecca Ahlskog
54 Svante Södergård
55 Simon Sundström
56 Daniel Kass
57 Julia Limnell
58 Robin Rönnback
59 Björn Malmström
60 Gustav Johnsson
61 Lotta Martin
62 Minea Laakso
63 Saga Kujansivu
64 Robin Holmström
65 Jasper Paalanen
66 Runa Åberg
67 Walter Törnwall
68 Casimir Ruohomaa

Contact person: Mattias Eriksson

Liberal students (@lskiabo)

  • We want to work for a student union where open decision making is encouraged and students’ voice is always heard in decisions that affect them.
  • Sustainable studies require healthy students, therefore students’ physical and mental well-being is a priority.
  • The members and associations are treated as equals, regardless of place or subject of studies.
  • We commit to actively working for a more accessible university. Åbo Akademi University’s spaces and events should be available and adapted to students in different life situations. 

69 Mi Adolfsson
70 Alexander Kruglov
71 Anton Åkerman
72 Vilma Sirén
73 Ronja Fast
74 Emilie Jäntti
75 Sabina Olin
76 Olivia Landén
77 Karin Jyrkänkoski

Contact person: Emilie Jäntti

  • emilie.jantti@abo.fi / 0406813762

Gemensamma Vasa (@gemensammavasa)

  • Appropriate study spaces
  • Good and healthy lunch on campus 
  • Opportunity to be active in associations, spaces, support etc.
  • Strong cooperation between Vasa and Åbo 

78 René Närhi
79 Emilia Grönlund
80 Nea Olli
81 Oscar Tallberg
82 Aurora Peurala
83 Emilia Lervik
84 Hope Klemets
85 Emma Vikman
86 Frida Holgers
87 Casper Loo
88 Sonja Niemimaa
89 Noomi Talvio
90 Julia Kultti
91 Oliver Pimenoff
92 Julia Aspholm
93 Johnny Lindfors
94 Nora Jakobsson
95 Kajsa Glader
96 Christel Still
97 Johannes Perätalo

Contact person: Angelica Loo

The Fair (@DRV_derattvisa)

  • An inclusive study community
  • Appropriate spaces for studies and associations on campus, regardless of subject or place
  • Strong representation for students in ÅAU’s decision making organs. Students should be heard in all decisions affecting them.
  • A more engaged student union that regularly listens to and develops based on students’ wishes and needs

98 Linn Turkki
99 Melina Lindholm
100 Svea Välimäki
101 Sofie Lehtovaara
102 Santeri Kylämäki
103 Cassandra Ewalds
104 Matilda Korkiala
105 Emilia Melén
106 Rebecca Aherto
107 Carl Ekman
108 Satu Tahko

Kontaktperson: Svea Välimäki

  • svea.valimaki@abo.fi / 0458014818