Municipal Elections in the Netherlands

In 2022, municipal elections in the Netherlands will be held on 16 March. If you're reading this article there's a good chance you're a resident of the Netherlands but not a citizen, so you might think you're automatically disqualified from the electoral process.

Not necessarily! In fact, if you managed to register with the local government in your town or area before 31 January, you may have already received your voting pass (a document that you will present with your ID at the polling station). to allow you to participate in this year's elections.

Dutch municipal system

What is the role of a Dutch municipality in the first place, and what will the candidates do once elected? Municipalities are responsible for organising within their areas, focusing on things such as local enterprise, public order and safety, economic enterprise, welfare and unemployment, welfare and public health, immigration and integration, education, town planning and public housing, traffic and transport, culture, sport and recreation. Municipalities receive money from the government, but can also levy their own taxes. So the ballot papers on 16 March will show the candidates for your local council. Each candidate belongs to a political party, and the number of seats allocated to each party is determined by the percentage they get in these elections. In larger cities there may also be district councils (stadsdeelcommissies), for which separate elections are held at the same time as the municipal elections.

How do I proceed if I have the right to vote?

Any resident of the Netherlands with European citizenship and over 18 years of age is entitled to vote in municipal elections. Where there are district councils (stadsdeelcommissies), the minimum age for that vote is 16. So if you meet these criteria you may already have received your voting pass (stempas). If you are not sure whether you have received this document or if you have simply lost it, there is still time to request a new one from the municipality by 11 March. This "stempas" will also give the address of the nearest polling station, which will be open from 7:30 to 21:00 on election day. Don't forget to bring your passport, ID card or other valid ID!

Can I ask someone else to vote for me?

Can't get to the polling station yourself? For example, because you have the coronavirus or because you are not in your locality on polling day? Then you can ask someone else to vote for you. This is called proxy voting.

You can ask someone to vote for you in 2 ways:

• via your voting card
• via an authorisation form (this was possible until 11 March, 17:00)

You can choose who to authorise. The person voting in your place (proxy) must :

• be eligible to vote;
• live in the same locality as you;
• to vote for you at the same time as his own vote.

More details about the process and the registration form can be found at here.

Who do I vote for?

If you haven't yet had a chance to read up on Dutch parties or local candidates there are several relatively unbiased Dutch sources, such as Stemwijzer or Kieskompas. You can also go to your municipality's website to find out exactly which positions you will be electing candidates for on 16 March (some municipalities will also hold elections on the same day for certain positions specific to their area). However, if you don't have the time to thoroughly research the political platform of all the Dutch parties, there are several 'voting quizzes' (such as isidewith) on the internet which consist of a list of general questions. After analysing your answers you will be shown a list of parties whose positions align with yours.

Author: Mara Georgescu