Dutch voters abroad: Voting by post
If you are registered as a Dutch voter abroad, you will receive a postal voting slip in order to vote by post. On this page you can read how to vote by post in the parliamentary elections.
The standard way of voting for Dutch voters abroad is to vote by post. This page contains information about:
- what you will receive from the Municipality of The Hague
- how you can vote by post
- what you need to vote
The municipality will send you
- The postal voting slip is proof that you are allowed to vote. You will not be able to vote by post without the postal voting slip. The municipality sent you your postal voting slip by post as of 30 August 2023. If you registered after this date, the postal voting slip will be sent as soon as you are registered. You will get an email notifying you when the postal voting slip has been sent.
- The postal voting slip will be accompanied by an orange return envelope printed with the address of the postal voting office where you can send your vote. A postal voting office is an office where the votes of Dutch voters abroad are checked and counted. You will also receive a white envelope in which you can later insert the ballot. You then insert the white envelope inside the pre-addressed orange envelope.
The candidate list and ballot will become official at the end of October. The municipality will then immediately send you the ballot, the candidate list and instructions for the special ballot for Dutch voters abroad as well as for mailing in your vote. You can vote only when you have received your ballot.
Voters on Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba
Voters who live on Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba can collect their voting papers from the Netherlands Representative Office. You will not receive your voting papers at your home and/or personal email address. You will receive a letter from the municipality by email or post with more information, including where you can collect your postal voting slip and ballot.
Replacement postal voting slip
Did you lose your postal voting slip? You can request a replacement postal voting slip before 10 November 2023. You can indicate whether you want to receive the replacement postal voting slip by post or by email. You may use your own return envelope and ballot envelope to send in your vote. Please remember that in some countries the mail service is slow or unreliable.
How to vote
- When you receive the ballot by email, print it out. Use black ink if you can. Use white unprinted paper and print out the ballot on only 1 side of the paper.
- Colour in the circle next to the name of 1 candidate from 1 political party on the ballot. Use a colour which is easy to see, such as red, black, blue or green.
- Insert your voted ballot in the white ballot envelope. You can also use your own envelope. Seal the envelope.
- Fill in the date on your postal voting slip and sign it. The signature must be the same as the signature on your Dutch identity document.
- Make a copy of your Dutch identity document. This ID must be valid on 9 October 2023. A Dutch proof of identity can be:
- a valid Dutch passport
- a valid Dutch identity card
- a valid Dutch identity card for Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten which states that you have Dutch citizenship (nationality)
- a valid identity card for Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustatius which states that you have Dutch citizenship (nationality)
Please note: On the website of the Dutch government(External link) you can read how to prevent fraud with a copy of your proof of identity. Or make a secure copy of your ID with the KopieID app(External link). - Insert the following documents in either the pre-addressed orange return envelope or your own return envelope which you address yourself:
- the white sealed ballot envelope containing the voted ballot (Have you lost the ballot envelope or was it damaged? You can also use your own white envelope)
- the signed postal voting slip
- the copy of your Dutch identity document
- Seal the return envelope and make sure to place enough postage on it.
- Mail the return envelope. The return envelope can be:
- mailed to the postal voting office in The Hague
Your voting papers must arrive at the postal voting office in The Hague by 15.00 hrs. (CET) on 22 November 2023. - mailed to or handed in at the Netherlands embassy or consulate
You can also send your voting papers to any Netherlands embassy or consulate (not to an honorary consul). Or you can hand in your vote there. You can find the contact information on the website NederlandWereldwijd.nl(External link). Make sure your voting papers are received by 17 November 2023 at 10.00 hrs. The embassy or consulate will forward your voting papers to the postal voting office in The Hague.
Return envelope or own envelope
You are not obliged to use the pre-addressed orange return envelope. You can also use your own envelope in any colour. Would you still like to have a new orange return envelope? Request it by sending an email to kbn.verkiezingen@denhaag.nl or by calling telephone number +31 (0) 70 353 44 00.
Are you using your own envelope? Then send it to:
Gemeente Den Haag
Kiezers buiten Nederland
Postbus 20020
2500 EA Den Haag
THE NETHERLANDS
Explanation about postal voting
Watch the video about how to vote by post.
Watch the video Ways you can vote as a Dutch voter abroad (YouTube channel of the municipality)(External link)
Or read the instructions for voting by post.
Instructions for voting by post (in Dutch)
(PDF, 6.3 MB)You can also practice using the postal voting slip(External link).
Voting is anonymous
The signature on your postal voting slip will be compared to the signature on the copy of your Dutch identity document. The white envelope with your ballot will be placed unopened in the ballot box. The white envelope ensures that your vote cannot be linked to you as a voter. This guarantees your anonymity even when you cast a postal vote.
Contact
Do you have any questions? The Municipality of The Hague organises the elections for Dutch voters abroad. The Elections Unit is available on telephone number +31 70 353 44 00. Or send an email to kbn.verkiezingen@denhaag.nl.
Also see: Dutch voters abroad