Voting in municipal elections in the Netherlands
Citizens of the Netherlands and citizens of other European Union (EU) Member States are allowed to vote in municipal elections (gemeenteraadsverkiezingen) in the Netherlands. Non-EU citizens are also allowed to vote, provided that they meet the requirements. These elections take place every 4 years.
There are a number of conditions for voting in municipal elections:
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You must not be excluded from voting (in Dutch).
- You must be a registered resident of a municipality in the Netherlands. And on the day of candidacy you have the right to vote in your municipality. That is 44 days before the election.
Are you a citizen from a country outside the European Union (EU)? Then you must have lived lawfully in the Netherlands for at least 5 years before the day of candidacy.
You are not allowed to vote if you are an employee of a foreign embassy or consulate. This also applies to your family. There is an exception for employees or family members who hold Dutch citizenship.
The Kiesraad (Electoral Council) provides more information about the eligibility requirements for voting in municipal elections.
Consider the following steps when voting in municipal elections:
- At least 14 days before the election a polling card (stempas) in Dutch will be sent to you at your home address. You must take the polling card, together with a valid form of identification (link in Dutch), to the polling station (stembureau).
- At least 4 days before the election you will receive the list of candidates, including the addresses of the polling stations.
Proxy voting:
If you are unable to vote in person, for example because you have to work or are on holiday, you can authorise another voter to cast your vote on your behalf (in Dutch).