In English 7.11.2024

MedBoomare wins council elections, Vihreä lista increased their seats the most

Voter turnout increased slightly, stopping the downward trend of previous elections.

Original text: Iikka Sorvali

Pictures: Anriika Kauppi

Translation: Oskari Koski

TREY’s Specialist in Tutoring, Teemu Juutilainen, interviewing Secretary-General Adam Zeidan (pictured left). At its peak, there were over 70 people present at Wednesday’s Election Council Night held in TEK lounge.

MedBoomare won TREY’s council elections. The list that brought together business and medical students won 8 seats in the elections that ended yesterday, making it the largest group in the council next year.

Compared to their result in 2022, the list received one seat less than the then separate lists of Vapaaboomarit (five seats) and Medaattorit (four seats).

The second biggest list was Vihreä vasemmisto, which received six seats in the elections. The third place is shared between Kahden Tähden Teekkarit and Vihreä lista, with five seats for each.

Vihreät increased their seats the most, when comparing the results to 2022 elections. Then, the list received two seats. The International Representatives Group, which represents international students, had the second biggest improvement, doubling their seats from two to four.

Even though they had high expectations, Vihreä lista’s share of the vote surprised Alex Siira (pictured left), Mimi Korjus and Oskari Mehtätalo.

The biggest losers in the election can be found on the lists of engineering students, as the MEMES-group, consisting of the lists of BS Alchemy and KPS, received only one seat.

Partly due to the loss of the engineering students’ lists, the election ring TEKIJÄ lost four seats compared to 2022. In 2025, TEKIJÄ has 29 seats, Punavihreä kupla 11, Silta 6 and Oikeisto-opiskelijat 3 seats.

Top vote-getters were Lauri Lindén of Vihreä vasemmisto (118 votes), Matti Kalttila of MedBoomare (107 votes) and Nea Koskela of MedBoomare (105 votes).

THE LISTS’ RESULTS

MedBoomare: 8 (new list)
Vihreä vasemmisto: 6 (+1)
Kahden Tähden Teekkarit: 5 (+1)
Vihreä lista: 5 (+3)
Kyltyrböndet: 4 (+1)
RATTOISA: 4 (-)
International Representatives Group: 4 (+2)
Kontakti: 4 (-)
Oikeisto-opiskelijat: 3 (-)
HALLI: 2 (-2)
Proka: 2 (-)
MEMES: 1 (new list)
Luuppi_Puolue: 1 (-1)

Slight increase in voter turnout

Another point of excitement was voter turnout, which had dropped in the last two elections. This time, it rose by just over two percentage points to 28.68%.

”The number of students has increased by more than 1,300, so the fact that the turnout increased in spite of that is a really good result,” says election coordinator Mea Vähä-Jaakkola in a telephone interview on Thursday morning.

She says the lower number of candidates than in the last election also pointed in the direction of a lower turnout. Vähä-Jaakkola praises the lists for active campaigning.

”The candidates campaigned in a very proactive way and in their own style.”

TREY made reforms in the organisation of elections this year. For one, the Student Union received permission from the University to send an email to all students reminding them to vote. Vähä-Jaakkola believes that the message and other election advertisements played a role in the turnout.

”We have made small changes, such as allowing the alliances descriptions on TREY’s websites to include links and information on how to become a candidate.”

Mea Vähä-Jaakkola, the election coordinator, is very proud that the turnout increased by a thousand voters, when compared to the previous elections.

The Council of Representatives decides about the Student Union’s matters, such as the make-up of the Executive Board of TREY, as well as the strategy and finances of the Student Union. The Council of Representatives has 49 seats for full members and 147 deputies.

Usually, the Council is selected for a two-year term, but in these elections, the representatives were selected for only one year. Both TREY and HYY of Helsinki will hold extra elections next year, so that the student unions can synchronise their election schedule with other student unions in Finland.

The representatives will start their work by getting to know the functioning of the Student Union. The inaugural session of the new Council of Representatives will take place on 3 December.

Eelis Vuorilehto, Valpuri Hurtig, Aada Ketola and Maria Palmroos are celebrating Viva’s election victory. “The left won, what’s more to say?,” comments Hurtig.

Amir Hayat of the International Representatives Group said that he was very surprised by getting the fourth biggest number of votes. His election theme was speaking for halal meat alternatives.

Lauri Ahlqvist (pictured left) and Matthew Heath were surprised that the International Representatives Group doubled their seats. Ahlqvist thinks the potential was there, and now it was realised.

Alli Vepsä of Oikeisto-opiskelijat wondered if she should even show up for the Election night. The result, however, was a positive surprise for her, as a smaller group of candidates received more votes than their candidates in the previous elections

Kontakti’s new council representative Sanni Miettinen (pictured centre) said that she never thought that she would get elected. “My heart skipped three beats,” she describes the publication of the results.

Mika Pajala, the Chair of the Central Election Committee, was delighted to be involved in organising such a feel-good election, which broke the trend of falling turnout.

At the Election night, people were waiting for the results in excitement. While the vote count itself was quick, compiling the results into a report took time.

The full election results are available on TREY’s website.

Lue seuraavaksi:

The Council of Representatives makes decisions about TREY’s finances and services – read the basics about the council here before this Autumn’s elections

In English: The Great Visiiri Representative Election Survey

In English: Visiiri met three Ukrainian exchange students – ”It’s complicated to say that we feel completely welcome”