The Representative Council is the highest decision-making body in the Student Union, consisting of 39 members. The Representative Council is elected on odd years in elections held in the beginning of November for a two-year term of office. Each year, the Representative Council elects the Executive Board to manage the operations of the Student Union.

You can read more about the Representative Council on ISYY's website.

2. Who administers the elections?

The Central Elections Committee chosen by the Representative Council makes the decisions regarding the elections. The Central Election Committee follows the Student Union's Election Regulations.

You can read the Elections Regulations document on ISYY's website in the Documents folder, in the Rules subfolder.

3. Why should I vote?

The Representative Council elections are the most important elections during your studies. The elected people manage the Student Union's affairs and decide which services the Student Union provides. The elections are a chance to make an impact.

4. Who can vote?

All students who are ISYY members and registered as present in the University of Eastern Finland are eligible to vote in the Representative Council elections.

5. Why should I become a candidate?

As a Representative Council member (or Edaattori in Finnish), you can influence how the Student Union and the University are run. You can make decisions regarding the Student Union's current and future operations, you get to co-operate with the University and participate in student advocacy. In addition, as a Representative Council member you get experience in working as an elected official and acquire valuable contacts and networks for the future.

6. Who can become a candidate?

All students who are ISYY members and registered as present in the University of Eastern Finland can become candidates. However, the following people are not eligible to run in the election: the Secretary General of the Student Union, members of the Central Election Committee and high-ranking employees of companies owned or majority-owned by the Student Union.

7. How do I become a candidate?

You can become a candidate by joining a list of candidates. Each list of candidates has a Spokesperson who takes care of the practical matters of joining a list. If you wish to become a candidate on a certain list, contact the list's Spokesperson.

There are different kinds of lists of candidates. For example, political student groups, independents and Student Organizations have their own candidate lists. Everyone who is eligible to vote in the election can create their own list of candidates.

8. Who can form an electoral coalition?

Two or more lists of candidates have the right to form an electoral coalition. An electoral coalition may not not nominate more than 58 candidates. A person may only run on one list in the election.

9. How many candidates can a single instance nominate?

A Student Union member who is eligible to vote in the Representative Council elections, or a group formed by Student Union members, has the right to nominate a maximum of fifty-eight (58) candidates.

10. When are the candidate numbers assigned and published?

All the lists of candidates will be posted on ISYY's official bulletin boards and website in the beginning of October.

11. When and where is advertising permitted?

The Central Election Committee will issue separate instructions concerning election advertising on campus. You can find the instructions here.

12. When do the results come in?

The elections results will be published on ISYY's official bulletin boards and website within 24 hours after the voting closes.

13. Can I follow the ballot counting?

You can follow the ballot counting at the election night, which will be announced later.

14. When does the new Representative Council start working?

The Representative Council starts working on the first day of the year following the election year.

15. What does a nonaligned candidate mean?

A candidate can announce that they are a nonaligned candidate as they nominate themselves. There is no exact definition of what it means to be a nonaligned candidate in the Representative Council Elections. The candidate and the candidate list can freely define the nature of being nonaligned. This can mean, for example, that the candidate does not commit to the policy of the candidate list or its collaborators.

Was your question not answered?

If you have any questions or you need help, you can contact our Coordinator of Administration.

Elina Pitkänen, Coordinator of Administration, Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), kv.kuopio(at)isyy.fi, tel. +358 44 576 8413