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. You have the right to vote in the municipality where you are registered on the day of candidacy. That is 44 days before the election.
There is an additional condition for citizens from countries outside the European Union (EU). You must have lived lawfully in the Netherlands for at least 5 years before the day of candidacy.
The right to vote does not apply to employees of foreign embassies or consulates. This also applies to their families. There is an exception for employees or family members who hold Dutch citizenship, they are allowed to vote.
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).
This is how it works for you
Here is some information from your municipality.
Voting in municipal elections
Do you want to ask someone to vote on your behalf? In that case you can authorise another voter to cast your vote on your behalf. This is possible with:
- your stempas (polling card)
- an authorization form
Authorising someone with the polling card
This is how you authorise someone with your polling card:
- Complete the back of your polling card. Do this together with the person you want to authorise, that way you will ensure you are authorising the correct person.
- Provide the proxy with your polling card and a copy of your ID. This proof of identity may be expired for a maximum of 5 years.
- The authorised person will show the copy of your ID at the polling station. The authorised representative must also show his or her own proof of identity.
The proxy can only vote on your behalf when casting his own vote. An authorised representative can vote for a maximum of two other persons.
Authorising someone with an authorisation form
You can also give another voter authorisation to vote for you using an authorisation form. This is called a written power of attorney. A couple of weeks before the elections, you can obtain a form for this purpose from your municipality.
You authorise someone with an authorisation form as follows:
- Both you and the person who will vote for you (the proxy) must complete the form. First the person you want to authorise, followed by yourself. This way, you will make certain you are authorising the correct person.
- You will submit the form to your municipality.
- The proxy will receive a power of attorney certificate allowing them to vote for you. Once the municipality has approved the power of attorney, the power of attorney cannot be revoked.
- The proxy will take the written proof of attorney to the polling station. You do not need to give a copy of your ID. The proxy can only vote on your behalf when casting their own vote.
The municipality will provide polling cards, candidate lists and voting locations. You will receive your polling card and list of candidates by mail.
The municipality will provide polling cards, candidate lists and voting locations. You will receive your polling card and list of candidates by mail.
Voting is free of charge.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Westerwolde
Visiting address
Dorpsstraat 1
9551AB Sellingen
| Monday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Tuesday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Wednesday | 09.00 - 19.00 |
| Thursday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Friday | 09.00 - 12.00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |