The council is the highest ranking entity in our student union LTKY. The previous council’s two year term is drawing to a close at the end of the year and it’s time to elect new council members. The council, in finnish often referred to as “edari” (edustajisto), makes the ultimate decisions of our student community and the effects of it’s work can be seen in many ways in our lives. Some concrete examples of the decisions and their results are the grocery shop Sale in Skinnarila campus, restaurants YOLO and Laser faring through tough financial times, LTKY participating in pride-events and the annual appointment of LTKY’s board.

Every member of LTKY may run for council and has the right to vote in the election. Whatever your opinion on the mandatory/automatic/(your opinionated term here) membership of student unions may be, the election is the best way to affect what your membership fees are used on or how much they are to begin with. An old saying on democratic systems goes: if you don’t partake, you don’t get to complain. In practice the student union of course listens to its members outside the election season as well, but the crucial time to promote the change you want to see is this fall.

The election follows proportional representation voting with electoral coalitions and alliances, much like the Finnish municipal or parlamentary elections. Coalitions are similar to political parties within the council that you may join or found. The coalition does not have to be linked to any actual political parties, nor will there be any checks for your political views. The full rules are on LTKY’s website in Finnish, but you can ask for English translations and explanations from LTKY’s advocacy expert or director (contact information on ltky.fi)

I myself have spent two terms in the council and I want to urge everyone to run for council or at least vote. My time in the council has seen the student community progress towards a more inclusive one and I’ve seen reforms and improvements happen that older student generations only dreamed of. Being a council member does take its time but it has not interfered with my studies or taken too much of my free time even as simultaneously I was the acting chair of the council and the chairs of two associations. Council also gives you opportunities to network and affect change more than a normal student could. I’ve had the fortunate chance of working with multiple recruiment processes, a task I hope my future career will include.

If a spot on the council interests you, any member can join in to listen to our next meeting on the 5th of October. As the election nears LTKY’s social media will also have additional information on the election, coalitions and the work councilmembers do, so make sure to follow Alive and LTKY’s instagram during the autumn and come ask and discuss the election to our offices for a coffee break or email the head of the council election board.

Council election dates: 

22.9. Election announcement 

27.9. election registry is published

27.9. registration for election candidates begins

11.10. Election candidacy registration ends at 15.00

11.10. Candidates and their candidate numbers are published

18.10. Election registry rectification claims deadline

21.10. Election registry rectification claims will all be processed and decided

22.10. Election location and time published

28.10-3.11. Election voting days (Voting begins on 28.10. at 8.00 and ends 3.11. at 14.00)

3.11. Election night & results published approximately at 18.00