Rising interest in the Representative Council election – highest number of candidates since 2011

Students have been exceptionally active in AYY’s Representative Council election: 326 students are running as candidates in the election to be held at the turn of October and November. The number of candidates has only been higher in 2011, when there were 343 candidates, and in 2009, when 456 students applied for the Student Union’s first Representative Council. In the previous election in 2023, there were 237 candidates.

‘It’s excellent to see students becoming more active and to get to witness the third-largest election in AYY’s history! Student union activities and opportunities to have an influence clearly interest a growing group of students’, rejoices the Chair of AYY’s Central Election Committee Sampo Sainio.

In addition to candidates, the number of electoral alliances has also increased. This autumn, 14 electoral alliances are competing for Representative Council seats, three of which are new alliances. The last time we saw more electoral alliances was more than a decade ago, in the 2013 Representative Council election. Most electoral alliances represent a study field or a political ideology. Aallon Kokoomus and Greener Aalto hold the most seats in the current Representative Council.

Further information:

Sampo Sainio, Chair of AYY’s Central Election Committee

Tel. +358 443881154

The Representative Council represents all members of the student union and holds the highest decision-making authority within AYY. The 45-member Representative Council is elected for a two-year term. All AYY members are eligible to vote in the election. Voting is open from 30 Oct to 6 Nov 2025, and the election results will be announced on the evening of 6 Nov. Further information: ayy.fi/en/election

Aalto University Student Union AYY is a service and advocacy organisation for approximately 17,000 Aalto University students of technology, business and arts. AYY represents the interests of its members in education policy and student welfare matters.

The number of candidates and electoral alliances has been corrected on October 8. Three candidates and one electoral alliance withdrew.