Voting in municipal elections
A municipality or gemeente, in Dutch, carries out tasks that directly affect local residents, like household waste collection, registering people to addresses and building and maintaining streets and public places. This is the level of government that is closest to the people, and it plays a central role in shaping the city you live in. Municipal elections take place every 4 years to elect a council. Each municipal council’s size depends on how many people live there. Councils always have an odd number of members to avoid ties when voting. The council makes decisions, and the executive (mayor & aldermen) ensures those decisions are carried out.
Who can vote in municipal elections?
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must be a resident of a municipality, in this case the municipality of Maastricht. You must have the right to vote in the municipality where you are registered on the day when the candidates are nominated, i.e. 44 days before the election
- Residents without EU citizenship must have lived legally in the Netherlands for at least 5 years before the election
Who can run for municipal elections?
The requirements for running for the elections to the municipal council are virtually the same as the requirements for being entitled to cast a vote.
How does voting work?
If you are a resident of Maastricht, you will receive a voting card, stempas in Dutch, at the address you are registered. This will arrive no later than two weeks before the date of the elections. With a voting card, you can cast your vote in any polling station within the Maastricht municipality. To do so, you must bring a valid photo ID (for EU citizens, this can be a passport, driver’s licence or ID).
Voting in water authority elections
Anyone residing in the Netherlands can vote in water authority elections, waterschapsverkiezingen in Dutch, regardless of nationality, provided that you meet certain conditions. Water authority elections take place every 4 years at the same time as the municipal elections. The water authority is responsible for maintaining dikes and sluices (these control the flow of water and prevent flooding). They also ensures the correct water level and are in charge of purifying waste water.
Who can vote in water authority elections?
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must be a resident in an area under the jurisdiction of the water authority. You are entitled to vote for the water authority where you live, on the day when the candidates are nominated i.e. 44 days before the election
How does voting work?
The process is pretty much the same as with the municipal elections described above. You’ll receive a voting card or stempas at your registered address (again, no later than two weeks before the election), and you can vote for both municipal representatives and the water authority at the same polling station. Don’t forget your valid photo ID!
Unable to physically vote but still want to
In the case that you are not able to vote yourself on the election day due to work or illness, you can authorise another person to vote on your behalf, this is called voting by proxy. You can authorise someone to vote on your behalf by completing and signing your voting card (stempas). However, please note that the proxy (so the person who is voting on your behalf), must be either registered in Maastricht or be able to vote in Maastricht using a voter card (or kiezerspas in Dutch). Read more about voting by proxy here.
