Municipal elections will be held on Wednesday, 3 March 2010 throughout the Netherlands. You, too, can help determine who will represent you the coming four years in The Hague Municipal Council. Take advantage of your voter eligibility and vote!
Who is eligible to vote?
Although most elections in the Netherlands are open to Dutch citizens only, international residents may vote in the municipal elections provided they meet certain requirements.
With the exception of embassy and consular staff, many non-Dutch citizens over the age of 18 years have the right to vote in local elections if they were registered as a resident of The Hague on 19 January 2010. Dutch citizens as well as citizens of European Union (EU) member states are in any case eligible to vote.
International residents from non-EU member states must have lived in the Netherlands uninterrupted for five years in order to take part in the municipal elections. Like Dutch citizens, they must be 18 years or older and not have lost their right to vote in their country of origin. Specific voter registration is not necessary.
Approximately 35,350 international residents of The Hague, or more than 9% of the city's total number of eligible voters, may take part in the 2010 local elections.
Voting pass
Eligible voters who are registered as residents of The Hague will receive a voting pass (stempas) by 17 February at the latest. The voting pass proves that you are eligible to vote. With the pass you can vote in a polling station of your choice. Your voting pass will show the address of the polling station closest to your home, but you are not required to vote there.
You can still decide where you will cast your vote even on election day itself. You need to bring your voting pass as well as a valid ID (passport, Dutch identity card or driving licence) to the polling station. You are required to show these to the person manning the station.
Voting by proxy
If you are unable to vote yourself on Wednesday, 3 March, you may appoint someone to vote on your behalf. That person must also be registered as a resident of The Hague on 19 January. To appoint a proxy, you just fill out the back of your voting pass and both you and your proxy will need to sign it. You can then give your voting pass to the person you’ve appointed as your proxy.
You must also be able to identify yourself in this case. You will need to give a copy of your valid ID to the person you’ve appointed as your proxy.
Be careful with whom you appoint as your proxy. Once you’ve appointed a proxy, you will not be able to reverse the process. Every eligible voter may vote on behalf of two other voters. Extra votes will be cast at the same time you cast your own vote.
Information
The addresses of all the polling stations (stembureaus) will be published in De Posthoorn newspaper and on the back of the list of candidates, which you will also receive in your letter box. All polling stations are handicapped accessible. They will be open from 7.30 to 21.00 hrs. Votes will be cast this time by marking the ballot with a red pencil.
For more information, contact Projectbureau Verkiezingen at tel. 070 – 353 44 88 or verkiezingen@dbz.denhaag.nl.
Also see:
- Municipal Elections theme page
- StemWijzer: Which local party deserves your vote? Compare your political preferences with 30 statements about politics in The Hague (in Dutch).
- www.wiekiesjij.nl: On the basis of another test, find out which candidate most closely matches your ideal profile of a Municipal Council member.