Voter information
The Provincial Council and Water Board elections will be held on 15 March 2023. You can then choose the members of the Provincial Council of South Holland. You can also vote for the board members of the Delfland Water Board (Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland).
All the information you need on voting during the municipal elections can be found on this page and in the Verkiezingskrant (Elections Newspaper). You will receive this newspaper (with English information) in your letterbox at the beginning of March.
Where and when can you vote?
You can find a list of all of the polling stations in The Hague on the website Stembureausindenhaag.nl. The facilities at each polling station are also indicated. For example if it is wheelchair accessible. The polling stations are open on Wednesday, 15 March from 7.30 to 21.00 hrs.
The following polling stations have different opening hours:
- Central Station: 6.30 to 21.00 hrs.
- Hollands Spoor station: 6.30 to 21.00 hrs.
- Paagman bookstore: 9.00 to 21.00 hrs.
- Paard music club: 7.30 to 18.00 hrs.
This year you will not be able to vote on Monday and Tuesday.
Polling stations accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Most of the polling stations in The Hague are accessible to voters in a wheelchair or mobility scooter. On the page Polling stations accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters you will find more information on the accessibility of the polling stations.
Facilities for blind and visually impaired voters
There are 8 polling stations which have extra facilities for voters who are blind or visually impaired. Read more on the page Voting for people who are blind and visually impaired.
Who is allowed to vote?
The municipality has determined in advance who is eligible to vote in the elections. This is stipulated in the election law (Kieswet).
You are allowed to vote in the Provincial Council elections if you meet the following requirements:
- You are 18 years of age or older on 15 March 2023.
- You are a citizen of the Netherlands.
- You were registered as a resident of The Hague on 30 January 2023.
You have the right to vote.
You are allowed to vote in the Water Board elections if you meet the following requirements:
- You are 18 years of age or older on 15 March 2023.
- You are a citizen of the Netherlands or you have a valid residence permit.
- You were registered as a resident of The Hague on 30 January 2023.
- You have the right to vote.
Your voting pass(es)
You will get 1 voting pass for each election: 1 for the Provincial Council elections and 1 for the Water Board elections. You will receive these at your home address in the week of 20 February. Your voting pass(es) will be sent to the address where you were registered on 30 January 2023. Keep your voting pass in a safe place. You need it to be able to vote.
Voting pass not received or lost or damaged?
Then you can request a new voting pass as of 22 February. Do this online no later than Friday, 10 March. Or visit the election counter in City Hall (Spui 70). Do this before 12.00 hrs. on Tuesday, 14 March.
Your proof of identity
Take your valid form of identification and your voting pass to the polling station.
A valid form of identity is:
- a Dutch passport, identity card, driving licence or Foreign Nationals Identity Document (vreemdelingendocument)
- a passport, identity card or driving licence from another EU country. Or from Norway, Switzerland (except for a driving licence from Swizerland), Liechtenstein or Iceland.
You are allowed to vote using a proof of identity which has been expired for a maximum of 5 years on 15 March 2023. Check the date on your identity document under ‘valid until’. Any date as of 16 March 2018 will be accepted.
Proof of identity lost or stolen?
Have you lost your proof of identity or has it been stolen? Then you can cast your vote by showing a police report about your missing proof of identity. Or by showing a declaration of loss issued by the municipality. Show the police report or declaration of loss. You must also show a card with your name and photograph. For example an NS subscription card or employee ID badge.
Have somebody else vote for you
Are you unable to go to the polling station yourself? Or would you rather not vote in person? Then you can ask another voter to vote on your behalf. You have to give this person an authorisation (proxy). Read more information on the page Authorise somebody to vote on your behalf.
Voting in another municipality
You will not be in The Hague on 15 March? And would you like to vote yourself? Request a voter card (kiezerspas). Read more about it on the page Vote in another municipality with a voter card.
How to cast your vote
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Take your voting pass and your proof of identity (passport, identity card, driving licence or Foreign Nationals Identity Document (vreemdelingendocument) with you when you go to vote.
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Give your voting pass(es) to the election official seated behind the table and show your proof of identity. The election official will check both of your documents. If they are in order, you will get 1 or 2 ballots and a red pencil.
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Go into a polling booth. You cast your vote by colouring in the white box in front of the name of the candidate of your choice using the red pencil. Fold up the ballot after colouring in the box. Make sure that the list of candidates is not visible.
Would you like to vote, but not for a particular party or candidate?
Then leave your ballot empty and insert it in the ballot box. Your vote will count towards the voter turnout but not towards a party or candidate. This is called a blank vote (protest vote).
Did you make a mistake when you filled in the ballot?
Give your ballot back to the presiding officer at the polling station. You can get 1 new ballot for each election.
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There are 2 ballot boxs in the polling station: 1 for the Provincial Council elections and 1 for the Water Board elections. You are allowed to keep the red pencil.
Your vote is not valid if you do the following on the ballot:
- use any other colour than red
- colour in more than 1 box
- write or draw anything which may reveal your identity
Do you want to observe the election process?
The voting and vote counting is public. You are allowed to be present at both.
Election day on Wednesday, 15 March
The votes will be counted after the polling stations close. This will start at 21.00 hrs. On the evening of the elections the votes will only be counted by political party. This usually takes place at the polling station itself. There are a few polling stations where it is not possible to count the votes. In this case the vote counting will take place at the World Forum (Churchillplein 10). Look at the polling stations where this applies on the website Stembureausindenhaag.nl.
Central vote counting on 16 and 17 March
The votes will be counted by candidate on Thursday, 16 March and Friday, 17 March. This is called the central vote counting. This will start at 9.00 hrs. in the World Forum (Churchillplein 10).
The central vote counting boosts the accuracy of the election results. By having other people count the votes the vote counting can be controlled better.
Elections counter
Do you have any questions about the elections? Or do you want to request a new voting pass or voter card? Visit the election counter in City Hall (Spui 70). Take your valid ID with you. You do not need to make an appointment.
The election counter is open from 20 February to 14 March. The counter will close at 12.00 hrs. on 14 March.
The election counter is open:
- Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 17.00 hrs.
- Thursday from 12.00 to 20.00 hrs.
List of candidates
Look at the list of candidates for the Provincial Council and Water Board elections. Voters who are blind and visually-impaired can use the audio description of the list of candidates for the Provincial Council and Water Board elections.
Video
The following videos provide information in sign language, with speech translation and subtitles. The videos are about various topics related to voting. For subtitles click on CC at the bottom right of the video, or click on the icon with the keyboard.
Verkiezingskrant (Elections Newspaper)
This newspaper contains detailed information in English on page 2.
Privacy declaration for voters
The municipality uses the personal data of voters when organising elections. Read more in the Privacy declaration for voters (in Dutch).
Contact
Do you have any questions about the elections? Send an email to verkiezingen@denhaag.nl or call (070) 353 44 88.
Also see
Published: 14 February 2023Modified: 7 March 2023