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Campaign products for candidates: what to order and when

· Piia

The parliamentary election day is Sunday 18.4.2027. A candidate's campaign products fall into two groups: products that only need a name, a photo and a slogan, and products that also carry the candidate number. The first group can be ordered now. The second group has to wait until the numbers are confirmed on 18.3.2027.

Below we go through the election timetable counted backwards, the products by use with their minimum order quantities, the rules on election advertising and the artwork we need for printing. The sources and answers to frequently asked questions are at the end.

The timetable counted back from election day

The official election timetables are published by vaalit.fi. The points that matter for campaign products are these:

The timetable splits the ordering into two stages. During the autumn and winter you can order everything that does not need a number. Products with a number can go into production on 18.3.2027 at the earliest, once the number is known. Advance voting starts on 7.4.2027, so there is little time between the confirmation of the numbers and the start of voting.

The start of the campaign period on 18.10.2026 also relates to funding. From that date, the cost of campaign products counts as an election campaign cost. The rules are set out in more detail below.

What can be ordered now and what has to wait for the number

Three lists help you divide the orders. The first covers products that only need a name, a photo and a slogan. These can be ordered now:

The second list covers products where the number is the main message. These wait for the candidate lists to be confirmed:

The candidate numbers are confirmed on 18.3.2027. Only then can the number be added to the artwork and the proof approved. Lead times are counted from the approval of the proof. For printed products the lead time is usually about 2 weeks from the approval of the proof. For made-to-order products the lead time is usually about 4 weeks from the approval of the proof. The exact lead time is stated in the quote.

Roll-ups and banners are made to order. If you want the products carrying the number to be in use when advance voting starts, choose the products and request a quote before the number is known. Keep the artwork ready so that only the number is missing.

The third list tells you what we do not carry. We do not sell election posters, election leaflets, roadside election advertisements or their stands. Those are ordered elsewhere. From us you get the products the campaign team uses and hands out.

Products by use

The products below are grouped according to where they are used. The minimum order quantities come from our product data as of 14.10.2026 and vary from product to product. Prices are shown on the product page excluding VAT. For printed products the price includes a one-colour print in one position.

The campaign team needs clothing that makes the team recognisable on the street and at events:

At the election tent and the stand you need products that are visible from a distance and show whose stand it is:

An unprinted leaflet stand works on the table as a holder for leaflets ordered elsewhere.

Give-away products are handed to passers-by at the stand and at events:

The campaign falls in the dark season, so a safety reflector is a give-away product that gets used. If you only need a small batch of campaign team shirts, for example, read also the article on promotional products in small batches.

Which rules apply to election advertising

The rules come from legislation and from the authorities' guidance. Below they are given in the words of the sources. Check the current guidance from the sources listed at the end.

Election funding. Under the Act on a Candidate's Election Funding (273/2009), "the costs of an election campaign comprise costs incurred no earlier than six months before the election day and no later than two weeks after the election day, regardless of when they are paid". Elected candidates and deputy members submit an election funding disclosure to the National Audit Office of Finland within two months of the confirmation of the election result. The name of a supporter must be disclosed when the value of the support is at least EUR 2,000 in parliamentary elections (EUR 1,100 in municipal elections).

Support other than money also counts if its value can be measured in money. For example, free advertising space or a company producing campaign material free of charge is support that is disclosed at its monetary value. Ordinary volume discounts and ordinary free services are generally outside the concept of support.

Transparency notice for political advertising. The EU Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising (EU 2024/900, the TTPA Regulation) entered into force on 10.10.2025. It applies to election advertising for the first time in the 2027 parliamentary elections. The candidate or the support group must give the advertising service provider the information for the transparency notice: the statement "Political advertisement", the sponsor of the advertisement, the election the advertisement relates to, and a mention of targeting if profiling has been used. The information must be presented with every political advertisement. The statement can be along these lines:

This is a political advertisement sponsored by candidate support group X. The advertisement relates to the parliamentary elections held on 18.4.2027.

The transparency notice is filed in the common EU transparency register, and information on political advertising is retained for at least seven years. The Regulation does not change how election advertising is produced in practice. A candidate can use the same items and channels as before.

Roadside advertising. According to Väylävirasto, "election advertisements may be put up along roads no earlier than one month before the actual election day". For these elections that means 18.3.2027 at the earliest. The advertisements must be removed no later than one week after the elections end. The time limits apply to state roads, and municipalities have their own guidance. Advertisements must comply with the given sizes, and their colours must not be confused with traffic signs. They must not have reflective surfaces and must not be illuminated. Advertisements may not be placed on motorways or in railway areas.

Street and outdoor advertising. Municipalities have no statutory obligation to arrange election advertising, but cities have traditionally provided stands for candidates' posters. The availability of stands and the fees vary by municipality. Equal treatment of candidates is central.

Polling stations. Under the Election Act, no speeches may be given, no printed or written appeals may be displayed or handed out and no other influence may be exerted on voters at a general polling station or in its immediate vicinity during voting hours. According to vaalit.fi, "election advertisements should not be placed near advance polling stations or polling stations in such a way that they can be considered to influence the voter's choice". Give-away products therefore stay outside the polling station.

Electoral bribery. Chapter 14, section 2 of the Criminal Code reads as follows:

A person who (1) promises, offers or gives another person a reward or other benefit in order to induce that person to vote in a certain way in a general election or a general vote or to refrain from voting, or (2) demands a reward or other benefit for voting or for refraining from voting in a general election or a general vote, shall be sentenced for electoral bribery to a fine or to imprisonment for at most one year.

Promising a reward for a vote is therefore prohibited. Hand out the products at the stand to everyone in the same way, not in return for a vote.

The artwork we need

For printing we need three things:

Add the candidate number to the artwork once it has been confirmed, and add the transparency notice text to the products that are political advertisements. On small products such as pens and badges the print area is small. On these, a name and a number stand out better than a long slogan.

Use the same photo and the same colours on all products, so the candidate is recognisable from the shirt, the pen and the roll-up. File formats and other requirements are set out in the artwork guidelines.

How to order campaign products

The order follows the same steps for all products:

If you are ordering both products that can be made now and products waiting for the number, send two separate quote requests. That way the first batch can go into production without waiting for the number. Keep the quotes and invoices for the election funding disclosure.

The steps are described in more detail on the how to order page.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When should a candidate order campaign products?

Products carrying only a name, a photo and a slogan can be ordered now. Products with a number wait for the candidate lists to be confirmed on 18.3.2027. The exact lead time is stated in the quote.

Do you sell election posters or leaflets?

No. Our range does not include posters, leaflets or roadside election advertisements.

What is the minimum order quantity?

It varies by product. For example, T-shirts and cotton bags can be ordered from 10 pcs, ballpoint pens from 25 pcs and printed badges from 50 pcs. A roll-up can be ordered from 1 pcs.

May products be handed out at the stand?

The Criminal Code prohibits promising, offering or giving a reward or other benefit to make someone vote in a certain way. Hand out the products to everyone in the same way, not in return for a vote. At a polling station and in its immediate vicinity, election material may not be handed out during voting hours.

Do campaign products belong in the election funding disclosure?

Costs incurred during the campaign period count as election campaign costs, and elected candidates and deputy members submit the disclosure. If a company produces material free of charge, that is support which is disclosed at its monetary value.