What does the polling station do and who works there?
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When you go to vote in the Netherlands, you do this at a polling station. There are polling stations in the Netherlands on election day. But what exactly happens there and who works there? You can read about it in this article.
You vote on paper at the polling station
In the Netherlands, you vote with a paper ballot and a red pencil. You get a ballot paper when you show your voter card at the polling station. In the Netherlands, you must vote on paper because it is reliable and easy to check because all votes are counted manually.
With manual counting, everyone can see if the votes are counted fairly. With digital voting it is different: then computers do the work and polling station employees then need technical knowledge of voting machines or counting computers.
Since each vote is on a separate ballot, it is always possible to do a recount in case of doubt. The final results are recorded in an
You can work at the polling station
Poll workers who have signed up work at the polling station. They check your voter card and your ID. They also ensure that everything goes quietly and that your vote remains secret.
If you want to help at a polling station, you must:
Be 18 years of age or older.
Have a good command of the Dutch language.
Be accurate, helpful and able to work under pressure.
You must undergo training with your municipality if you want to work at a polling station. You do not have to have Dutch citizenship. You also have to register with the municipality. They decide who gets which tasks. Then the municipality invites you for free training.
What do you do as a poll worker?
You welcome voters.
You check the voter card and ID.
You hand out a ballot.
You watch the voter put the ballot in the box.
You help voters if they have any questions.
You can also be a backup poll worker. In this case, the municipality calls you if someone drops out.
You can also work as a vote counter during election day
Polling stations across the Netherlands are open from 07:30 to 21:00. After the polling stations close at 21:00, the poll workers first count how many voters voted (this is called 'the turnout'). Then the counters count all the ballots by hand.
When you join the polling station, the chair of the polling station explains to you what to do. Then you start counting. You count the votes until everything is finished and the municipality collects the ballot boxes.
The counters then send the result to the municipality and later to the national organisation that collects the votes.
The counting is public. Anyone may come and watch the counting take place.
You get money if you work at the polling station
If you work at a polling station, you will receive compensation. How much you get varies by municipality.
As a poll worker, you often get between €100 and €150.
As a counter, you often get around €40.
Sometimes the church also provides lunch or dinner, or you get a small reimbursement for it.
Please note that the reimbursement is not tax-free. You must report this amount on your income tax.