Election of Representative Assemblies of OP cooperative banks

All owner-customers could exercise their voting rights, who were owner-customers by 31 May at the latest and were still owner-customers when voting began. An OP cooperative bank’s owner customers can also include minors, those under legal guardianship and companies or entities.  

Owner-customers who use OP’s digital services were sent a message about their voting rights, which they can read on the op.fi service or OP-mobile. Owner-customers not using OP’s digital services received a letter by post with information on their voting rights, instructions on voting, and supporting material. In addition, minors, those under legal guardianship and companies or entities received material for the vote by post. 

Each owner-customer entitled to vote had one vote in the elections and could vote for only one candidate. 

An underage owner-customer also had the right to vote. Votes of minors could be cast jointly by their guardians. 

In the case of a person under legal guardianship, the legal guardian could cast the vote on behalf of their ward. 

In the case of companies and entities, the right to vote was exercised by a person authorised to represent them.

Representative Assemblies need the participation of owner-customers who take an interest in shared issues and have expertise of their own to contribute. “No specific banking expertise is required of Representative Assembly members. It’s the attitude that matters. 

Any reputable owner-customer eligible to vote who uses the services of an OP cooperative bank, is legally competent and has joined their bank as an owner-customer by 31 May and will turn 18 years of age during the candidacy acquisition period can have stood for election to a Representative Assembly. 

In addition, each owner-customer standing as a candidate must have the endorsement of one owner-customer of their own OP cooperative bank. 

A company or institution can’t have stood as a candidate. If a company or institution holds owner-customer membership, it can act as a supporter and vote. In such a case, endorsement must be submitted using a form and the vote must be cast by post. 

Also, an organisation, party or other institution can’t have nominated a candidate for election to a Representative Assembly, as only individuals can stand and must do so personally. 

Note that the persons employed by an OP cooperative bank or an entity belonging to the same group or members of the board of directors and supervisory council of an OP cooperative bank can’t either have stood as electoral candidates. Also, the Managing Director of an OP cooperative bank or an entity belonging to the same group can’t have stood as a candidate during their incumbency and the five years following the termination of their employment. 

Furthermore, persons employed by OP central cooperative or an entity belonging to the same group are ineligible to stand as candidates. 
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