Home > Statistics > Presidential elections > 2006 > Preliminary data. Second round. Tarja Halonen was re-elected President in the Presidential election 2006

Published: 30 January 2006

Preliminary data. Second round. Tarja Halonen was re-elected President in the Presidential election 2006

In the second round of the Presidential election Tarja Halonen defeated her rival candidate Sauli Niinistö. The total number of votes cast for Halonen was 1,630,833, that is, 51.8 per cent of all votes cast. Sauli Niinistö, the runner-up, received 1,517,947 votes, or 48.2 per cent of all votes, which means that the support for Halonen was 3.6 percentage points higher than that for Sauli Niinistö. The election result was quite even; in numbers, the difference was a total of 112,866 votes. Around 893,900 votes remained to be divided as a "legacy" from the first round. Compared with the first round of the election, the proportion of Niinistö grew by 792,079 votes (by 24.1 percentage points) and that of Halonen by 120,917 votes (by 5.5 percentage points).

Halonen did well in all 15 constituencies of the country. She gained more than one half of all votes in 13 constituencies and her support was almost without exception higher than that of Niinistö in all big cities. Halonen was most successful in the constituencies of Åland (67.4%), Satakunta (56.4%) and Central Finland (55.7%) and her support was also higher than her average for the whole country in the densely populated constituencies of Helsinki (53.3%), Pirkanmaa (54.4%) and Varsinais-Suomi (53.4%).

The constituencies of Vaasa (56.9%) and Oulu (51.8%) were strong constituencies for Niinistö. In the biggest constituency of the country, Uusimaa, his support was also better than average (49.4%). The backing parties of the candidates differed from the initial situation in that after the first round, the Centre Party declared its support for Niinistö in the second round. In the 2003 Parliamentary elections the Centre Party was the biggest party in seven constituencies (Lapland, Oulu, South Savo, North Savo, North Karelia, Central Finland and Vaasa). In the constituencies mentioned (excl. Lapland) the support for Niinistö rose above the total support gained by Niinistö and Vanhanen in the first round, but only in two constituencies the support for Niinistö exceeded that of Halonen.

Second round. Support for the candidates by constituency, Presidential election 2006

 

Voting turnout rose in the second round

The voting turnout of Finnish citizens resident in Finland was 77.2 per cent. It was 3.3 percentage points higher than in the first round two weeks ago. Compared with the second round of the 2000 Presidential election, the voting turnout was now 3.0 percentage points lower.

The voting turnout was highest in the constituency of Uusimaa, where it rose above 80 per cent (80.7%). The voting turnout was almost equally high in the constituency of Helsinki, 79.8 per cent. After the constituency of Åland (61.9%), the voting turnout was lowest in the constituencies of North Karelia (72.0%) and North Savo (72.0%). As in the first round, voting was most active in Kauniainen, where the voting turnout was 89.1 per cent.

In all Statistics Finland's statistical tables by municipality and constituency the voting turnout is calculated from the votes cast by Finnish citizens resident in Finland.

Second and first rounds. Voting turnout of Finnish citizens resident in Finland by constituency, Presidential election 2006

Constituency	2nd round (%)	1st round (%)
Whole country	77.2	73.9
Helsinki	79.8	76.3
Uusimaa	80.7	77.1
Varsinais-Suomi	78.6	75.3
Satakunta	77.7	74.1
Häme	77.2	73.0
Pirkanmaa	78.4	74.6
Kymi	76.1	72.5
South Savo	73.6	70.8
North Savo	72.5	69.7
North Karelia	72.0	68.9
Vaasa	76.8	74.8
Central Finland	75.9	72.6
Oulu	74.0	71.0
Lapland	74.8	72.0
Åland	61.9	57.7

Source: Election Statistics, Presidential election 2006. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Mr Risto Lättilä +358 9 1734 3252, vaalit.tilastokeskus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ms Riitta Harala

Links: A press release related to this statistical release will be issued later today (30 January 2006)

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Appendix tables

• Preliminary data. First and second round. The numbers of votes cast for the candidates in the Presidential election on 29 January 2006 and the difference in percentage points both to the votes cast in the first round in 2006 and to the votes cast for the corresponding candidates in the second round in 2000 by constituency (Excel) (30.1.2006)
• Preliminary data. First and second round. Votes cast and percentages of votes cast for the candidates in the second round in advance voting and on actual election days on 15 January 2006 and 29 January 2006, by constituency (Excel) (30.1.2006)
• Preliminary data. Second round. Municipalities by voting turnout in the Presidential election 2006 (Excel) (30.1.2006)
• Preliminary data. Second round. Valid and invalid ballots, number of advance votes, and advance voters and voting turnout by constituency in the Presidential election 2006 (Excel) (30.1.2006)

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Last updated 30.1.2006