Published: 26 January 2012
Sauli Niinistö and Pekka Haavisto made it to the second round of the Presidential election 2012
In the first round of the Presidential election, the two candidates who received the highest numbers of votes were Sauli Niinistö and Pekka Haavisto. Sauli Niinistö, the candidate of the National Coalition Party received 1,131,254 votes, thus winning the first round with 37.0 per cent of all votes cast. Pekka Haavisto, the candidate of the Green League was second in the first round of the Presidential election with 18.8 per cent of all votes cast. He gained 574,275 votes. The difference between the two candidates with most votes cast was 556,979 votes and 18.2 percentage points.
Support for the presidential candidates in the Presidential election 2012, first round, and support for the corresponding party in the Parliamentary elections 2011
Sauli Niinistö's share of all votes cast in the first round of the Presidential election was 16.6 percent-age points higher than the support for the National Coalition Party in the Parliamentary elections 2011 (20.4%). Pekka Haavisto's share of the votes cast was 11.5 percentage points higher than the share of votes cast for the Green League in last year's Parliamentary elections (7.3%).
Paavo Väyrynen, the candidate of the Centre Party of Finland came third with 536,555 votes cast, i.e. 17.5 per cent of the accepted ballots. The support for Väyrynen in the Presidential election was 1.8 percentage points higher than the support for the Centre Party in last Parliamentary elections (15.8%). Väyrynen gained in the election 37,720 fewer votes than Pekka Haavisto, who made it to the second round.
Timo Soini, the candidate of the True Finns received in the election 287,571 votes and 9.4 per cent of all votes cast. Timo Soini's share of votes cast was 9.7 percentage points lower than the support for the True Finns in last Parliamentary elections (19.1%). Paavo Lipponen, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party received 205,111 votes and 6.7 per cent of the votes cast. The support for Lipponen in the Presidential election was as much as 12.4 percentage points lower than the share of votes cast for the SDP in the Parliamentary elections 2011 (19.1%).
Paavo Arhinmäki, representing the Left Alliance received in the election 5.5 per cent of all votes cast, Eva Biaudet, the candidate of the Swedish People's Party gained 2.7 per cent of the votes cast and Sari Essayah, the candidate of the Christian Democrats in Finland gained 2.5 per cent of all votes cast.
Voting turnout remained slightly lower than in the previous Presidential election
The voting percentage of Finnish citizens resident in Finland was 72.8, which was 1.1 percentage points lower than in the first round of the Presidential election in 2006.
Voting was the most active in the constituency of Helsinki (76.6%) and in the constituency of Uusimaa (75.6%). After the constituency of Åland (56.4%), voting turnout remained lowest in the constituencies of North Karelia (67.0%) and North Savo (68.9%). Of the municipalities in Mainland Finland, voting was the most active in Kauniainen (86.7%) and the least active in Rautavaara (58.4%) in the constituency of North Savo.
The total number of eligible voters in 2012 was 4,402,622. The number of persons entitled to vote resident in Finland was 4,172,200 and the number of persons entitled to vote resident abroad was 230,422.
Voting turnout of Finnish citizens living in Finland in Presidential election 2012, first round
| Constituency | First round 2012 |
| Whole country | 72.8 |
| Helsinki | 76.6 |
| Uusimaa | 75.6 |
| Varsinais-Suomi | 73.6 |
| Satakunta | 71.9 |
| Häme | 71.8 |
| Pirkanmaa | 73.6 |
| Kymi | 70.7 |
| South Savo | 69.4 |
| North Savo | 68.9 |
| North Karelia | 67.0 |
| Vaasa | 73.4 |
| Central Finland | 71.8 |
| Oulu | 71.0 |
| Lapland | 71.6 |
| Åland | 56.4 |
Source: Presidential Elections 2012, 1 round, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Kimmo Moisio (09) 1734 3239, Jaana Asikainen (09) 1734 3506, vaalit@stat.fi
Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma
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- Presidential elections, quality description (26.1.2012)
Updated 26.1.2012
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Presidential elections [e-publication].
ISSN=2242-3699. confirmed election result, first round 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 18.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/pvaa/2012/01/pvaa_2012_01_2012-01-26_tie_001_en.html