Finns go to the polls to elect a new president at an unprecedented time for the NATO newcomer
ABC News
Voters in Finland are electing a new president at an unprecedented time
HELSINKI -- Voters in Finland were electing a new president Sunday at an unprecedented time for the Nordic nation that is now a NATO member with its eastern border with Russia closed — two things almost unthinkable a few years ago.
Polls across the country opened at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).
Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy, particularly when dealing with countries outside the European Union like the United States, Russia and China.
Some 4.5 million citizens are eligible to vote for Finland’s new head of state from an array of nine candidates — six men and three women. They are picking a successor to hugely popular President Sauli Niinistö, whose second six-year term expires in March. He is not eligible for re-election.
No candidate is expected get more than 50% of the vote in Sunday’s first round of voting, pushing the race into a runoff in February.
