YOUR GUIDE TO VOTING IN THE NETHERLANDS

Image showing an a girl putting a ballot in a voting box.

When to Vote

6 June 2024

Mark your calendars!

Anyone aged 18 or over on the election day can vote if they have residency in the Netherlands and hold either Dutch citizenship or the citizenship of another EU country. 

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Do I have an obligation to Vote?

No, there is no legal obligation to vote. But you know what we say…use your vote anyway!

Where can I vote?

Illustration showing different ways to vote, by mail, in person or online.

If you are a Dutch citizen voting in the Netherlands

If you live in the Netherlands, as a Dutch citizen, check your voting card, because it tells you which polling station is nearest your address. You vote in the municipality you live in, but you can also vote in all polling stations present in this municipality. And guess what?! You don’t have to register, the authorities will automatically do it for you. If by any chance you want to vote in a different one, you can apply for a new voting card. You can learn more about the polling stations here.

Deadline to apply for a new card: you have different ways to submit your application, either directly at the counter of your municipality by Wednesday, June 5, at 12:00 PM or get the form from the counter or online and send it to your municipality no later than Monday, June 3. You can find more information here.

If you are a Dutch citizen voting from another EU country

Do you live abroad? To vote, you need to register online (here) with the municipality in Hague. Once you are registered, the authorities will send you a voting card by mail. This way, you can cast your vote and send the voting pass once again by post, before the election day. Please keep in mind that this applies if you live abroad longer, as you will be “permanently” registered as voting from abroad.

If you only travel abroad during the election day, you can only vote by proxy. How? Authorise another person to vote on your behalf by using either your voting card (on the back) or a form submitted to your municipality, no later than June 3.

Deadline to register: you have to register by April 25, 2024, to receive the voting pass by post.

If you are an Dutch citizen voting from a country outside the EU

The same rules of registration apply when voting outside the European Union. 

If you are EU citizen voting in the Netherlands

As a legal resident in the Netherlands, you can of course vote there! You have to register in the municipality where you have your residence by using a form found at the municipal office. Once you register, the authorities will check your data to make sure you will not vote in your country of origin as well and send you a voting pass.  You can then vote at the polling station written on the front of your voting pass (in your municipality). Learn more here.

Deadline to register: you have to register by April 23, 2024.

This picture shows voting ballots and a mouse click
Voting Online
Can I vote online?
NO ✖ Unfortunately you cannot vote online in the Netherlands.
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Voting by Mail
Can I vote by mail?
NO ✖ Unfortunately you cannot vote by mail, unless you are a Dutch citizen residing abroad who registered to vote.
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Voting by Proxy
Can I vote by proxy?
Good news, ✓ YES, you can vote by proxy. All you have to do is authorise someone on the back of your voting card and give them a copy of your ID.
Find more info
Picture showing a girl with locomotory disability in a wheelchair, and a bullet with someone putting a ballot in a box.

Voting & accessibility

Do you have a disability or an illness? If you cannot go to the polling station, there are forms of assistance available:

  • polling stations have 1 voting booth with a lower writing surface
  • polling stations should be accessible for people in a wheelchair
  • you can request for someone to assist you with voting
  • reading magnifiers that enlarges the text on the ballot paper could be provided
  • some polling stations have voting ballots with audio support for voters with a visual impairment
  • they can help explaining the voting process and some polling stations also organise practice voting before the election
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fun facts

  • The Netherlands joined the EU on 1 January 1958.
  • The Netherlands will elect 31 Members of the European Parliament in 2024, 5 more than in the 2019 elections.
  • There is just one national constituency and everyone votes for the same list.
  • The country uses preferential voting and gives voters the option to indicate their preferences within the party list
  • There is no threshold for political parties to be elected to the European Parliament, but a party should reach at least 3% to gain one seat.
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