Election of Representative Assemblies of OP cooperative banks will offer 1.7 million the opportunity to vote

OP Pohjola's 30 cooperative banks will hold the election of the Representative Assembly, where owner-customers elected from among them the Representative Assembly for their own bank for four years. The election will be held between 3 and 13 November 2025. More than 1,000 members will be elected to the Assemblies. The Representative Assembly exercises the highest decision-making powers in the bank and is an important link between customers and the bank.

Over 4,300 candidates will participate in the election held in November, and over 1,000 members will be elected to the Representative Assemblies. Owner-customers around Finland eligible to vote number more than 1.7 million.

“The candidates include a diverse range of people, such as students, employees, executives, entrepreneurs and pensioners. It should be reasonably easy to find a suitable candidate using the voting advice app, for example. A diverse Representative Assembly reflects our owner-customer base and we hope that as many people eligible to vote as possible will stand for matters important to them and cast their vote in their own bank's election. Now is the time for customers to make their voices heard," says Pasi Sorri, Director, OP Cooperative Banks' Customer Relationships service area.

You can vote from the comfort of your home

OP is a cooperative, owned by its customers, whose basic value is the principle of one member, one vote. More than 1.7 million owner-customers from 30 banks will be entitled to vote, and more than 1.4 million will have the opportunity to vote electronically. Owner-customers who do not use OP-mobile or the op.fi service will be able to vote by post.

Owner-customers using OP's online services have been informed with an online message about their eligibility to vote electronically, and they can vote for their candidate in the electronic election service. Owner-customers that do not use OP's online services have been informed by post about their eligibility to vote, and they can vote by posting their ballot paper in the return envelope.

“Learning more about the candidates is possible on the voting advice application at op.fi/elections. You can also log into the electronic voting service through the same address. Voting is easy and can be done from the comfort of your home,” says Sorri.

At OP cooperative banks, the Representative Assembly exercises the highest decision-making power in matters falling within its remit. It is elected by owner-customers from among its members. An OP cooperative bank's Representative Assembly performs tasks such as approving the bank's financial statements and making key decisions about the bank's activities.

In addition, the Representative Assembly serves as an important link between customers and the bank. The wishes of owner-customers pass to the bank through the Representative Assembly and, on the other hand, the Representative Assembly provides members with the most recent information, for example, on the bank's services.

Voting in the Representative Assembly election begins on 3 November at 8.00 and ends on 13 November at 16.00. Every owner-customer has one vote that gives them the chance to influence the composition of their own bank's Representative Assembly. The election results will be published on 5 December 2025.

See op.fi/elections for the basic information on the Representative Assembly, the election and standing as a candidate.

The biggest electronic voting in Finland

Representative Assembly elections will be held at the same time in 30 OP cooperative banks around Finland. Candidates number over 4,300 and over 1,000 members are elected to the Representative Assemblies. Owner-customers eligible to vote number some 1.7 million, with more than 1.4 million of them voting electronically.

Not all OP Pohjola cooperative banks hold the Representative Election this autumn. Some banks hold the election at another time and some banks have a Cooperative Meeting that corresponds to the Representative Assembly.

Media enquiries:

OP Pohjola Communications, tel. 010 252 8719, viestinta@op.fi 

OP Pohjola is Finland’s largest financial services group, with more than two million owner-customers and over 14,000 employees. We provide a comprehensive range of banking and insurance services for personal and corporate customers. OP Pohjola consists of OP cooperative banks, its central cooperative OP Cooperative, and the latter's subsidiaries and affiliates. Our mission is to promote the sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing of our owner-customers and operating region. Together with our owner-customers, we have been building Finnish society and a sustainable future for 120 years now. www.op.fi