In the Union Council election, held in the autumn of 2025, the members of Social Science Professionals will choose a new Union Council from among their number for a four-year term. The Union Council, made up of 40 councillors, makes decisions on the main policies relating to YKA’s finances and work. This page has all the information you need about the election.
The Union Council is YKA’s highest decision-making organ. The Council is elected for a term of four years, so the Council elected in the 2025 election will serve from 2026 to 2029. The Council holds at least two meetings every year.
The Council elects a chairperson and a vice chairperson from among its members. In the autumn meeting, the Council makes decisions on the plan of action and financial plan for the coming year, and in the spring meeting it discusses the annual report and approves the accounts of the previous year. One of the main tasks of the Council is also to choose a new Board for YKA every second year. The Council also defines YKA’s main policies regarding labour market, society and education policy issues.
The constitution states that Council meetings are conducted in Finnish.
The online nomination starts on 2.5.2025.
You are eligible to stand for election if you are already a member or if you join YKA no later than 31.8.2025.
Stand for election:
All candidate forms must arrive by 4 pm on 29.9.2025.
You may stand independently or as a member of an electoral coalition. Please read the information on election coalitions and election alliances on this page carefully before standing for election.
If you want to check your eligibility, the electoral register of eligible members can be seen 8–15.9.2025 in YKA’s office at Mikonkatu 8 A, floor 9, 00100 Helsinki. Information about the electoral register can also be obtained via email.
For more information, please email vaalit@yka.fi.
Election coalitions are groups formed by individual candidates. YKA’s member organisations’ lists of candidates are also considered election coalitions, and the rules pertaining to election coalitions apply to these. Anyone wanting to form an election coalition must do so in writing by the end of the nomination of candidates at 4 pm on 29.9.2025. Instructions for how to form an election coalition can be found further down on this page.
Election coalitions are important when votes are counted, as the Union Council election follows the same proportional representation system as national elections:
This means that the larger the election coalition, the easier it is for a candidate to get elected. This is why it is a good idea for individual candidates to form election coalitions with other candidates. Independent candidates who are not part of an election coalition will receive their personal vote count as their comparison number.
YKA currently has six member organisations. According to the constitution of YKA, member organisations will be treated as election coalitions if they nominate candidates for the Union Council election.
YKA’s member organisations are:
The following election coalitions took part in the 2021 Central Council election:
Get in touch with the contact person of the election coalition whose list you want to join.
We will publish the contact details for the contact person of each election coalition on this page on 16.5.2025. If you want all members to become aware on your election coalition you should inform the office of your intention to form an election coalition by 15.5.2025 on vaalit@yka.fi. You do not need to officially form the election coalition at this point. You can also inform the office about your election coalition for communication purposes later, but in the name of fairness we have set a common date when we will start to share the details of the contact persons of election coalitions.
Include the name of the election coalition, who can join the coalition, and the name, email address and phone number of the contact person.
The contact person appointed for the election coalition fills out the election coalition form for member organisations or the notification of forming an election coalition. The contact person must sign the forms.
The form must be posted or emailed to YKA’s office by the end of the nomination of candidates at 4 pm on 29.9.2025:
vaalit@yka.fi
Social Science Professionals Mikonkatu 8 A, floor 9, 00100 Helsinki
An election alliance is a group of election coalitions. Like election coalitions, election alliances must also be formed in writing.
The following election alliances took part in the 2021 Union Council election:
The election coalition contact persons fill out the notification of forming an election alliance. The contact persons must sign the form.
The results of YKA’s Union Council election will be published on 21.11.2025 on YKA’s website and social media channels.
The Union Council election follows the same proportional representation system as national elections. The 40 candidates with the highest comparison numbers are elected. If two candidates have the same comparison number, their ranking will be decided by drawing lots.
Deputy councillors are elected among those candidates who were not elected and will amount to a maximum of 1.5 times as many as the number of elected candidates from each election coalition. The ranking of deputy councillors is determined by their comparison numbers. Independent candidates who are elected to the Council can appoint one deputy.
+ If you are the contact person for an election coalition or election alliance, remember to also send in the notifications of forming an election coalition and/or election alliance according to the instructions before the end of the nominations.
Canva templates for candidates
We will publish the Canva templates once the nomination of candidates ends.
Please get in touch with YKA’s office if you have any questions regarding standing for election, voting, forming election coalitions or election alliances, or anything else related to the election:
vaalit@yka.fi or 010 231 0350
