What are the elections in the Netherlands?
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There are several political elections in the Netherlands. Not everyone is always allowed to vote. Below you can read which elections there are, when they are and who is allowed to vote.
House of Representatives elections
In House of Representatives elections, Dutch people vote for members of the House of Representatives.
Who is allowed to vote?
To vote for the House of Representatives, you must:
Have Dutch citizenship.
Be 18 years of age or older.
Not be excluded from the
These rules also apply to residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
Residents of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten may vote only if they:
Have lived in the Netherlands for at least 10 years.
Work for the Dutch government on one of these islands.
Senate elections
In Senate elections, you do not directly choose who will be in the Senate.
Members of the
Senate elections are everyfour years, usually shortly after Provincial State elections.
Provincial State elections
In the Provincial State elections, you elect the members of the Provincial State of your province.
The elections are every four years.
To vote in the Provincial State elections, you must:
Be 18 years of age or older.
Live in the province where you vote in the Netherlands.
Be a Dutch citizen, or be registered as a resident of the
Not be excluded from the right to vote.
Residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba may not vote in Provincial State elections.
Water Board elections
In Water Board elections, you elect the members of the
Be 18 years of age or older.
Live in the area of the water board, or have a business or estate there.
Be a Dutch citizen, or EU citizen living in the Netherlands.
Not be excluded from the right to vote.
Municipal elections
In the municipal elections, you elect the members of the municipal council of your hometown. The municipal council makes rules for the municipality and controls the municipal government.
The elections are every four years.
To vote in municipal elections, you must:
Be 18 years of age or older.
Live in the municipality where you vote.
Be a Dutch citizen, or a resident of the EU or someone who has been legally living in the Netherlands for 5 years.
Not be excluded from the right to vote.
European Parliament elections
In the European Parliament elections, you elect the Dutch members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament, together with
In European Parliament elections, you vote for a political party. The more votes a party gets, the more seats it gets in the European Parliament. You can sometimes also give a preferential vote to a candidate on the party's list. This way you help that candidate move up the list.
The elections are every five years.
To vote in the European elections, you must:
Be 18 years of age or older.
Be a Dutch citizen, or a EU citizen living in the Netherlands.
Not be excluded from the right to vote.