Voting in municipal elections in the Netherlands
Municipal council members are elected by eligible voters in their municipality. Municipal council elections (gemeenteraadsverkiezingen) take place once every four years.
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You can vote in municipal council elections if you:
- are aged 18 or over;
- are registered as living in the municipality; and
- are eligible to vote in your municipality on nomination day, which is 44 days before election day.
You cannot vote if you are legally excluded from voting (in Dutch).
Voting if you do not have Dutch nationality
If you are not a Dutch national, read the rules for voting in municipal council elections as a non-Dutch resident (in Dutch).
You must have a voting pass in order to vote. If you are eligible to vote, you will receive your voting pass (stempas) by post at least 14 days before the elections. You must take your voting pass and an identity document with you to the polling station. Read more about voting in municipal council elections.
Unable to vote in person
If you are unable to vote in person, for instance because you have to work or are on holiday, you can authorise another voter to vote on your behalf (in Dutch). This is called voting by proxy.