Expats can vote locally!

zondag 20 september 2009

The local faction of the political party Democrats 66 (D66) participates in the yearly expatfair, held in the atrium of City Hall. The party, which is represented in the European parliament by the ELDR-faction (European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party), wants to promote awareness among expats that most of them are eligible to vote for the municipal council in The Hague.

Expats mostly eligible to vote
According to the Elections Act of 1989, legal residents over 18 may vote in the municipal elections. Many foreign nationals do not realize that they have the right to vote in municipal elections: EU nationals who are registered in The Hague can vote locally! Non-EU nationals who have been legal residents for at least 5 years may also vote. The only exceptions are members of diplomatic or consular missions posted to the Netherlands and their non-Dutch families.

English programme
During the 2006 municipal elections D66 provided an English webpage specifically tailored to expats and a translated election programme - to reach the international community. We were the first local party to do this in The Netherlands, further stressing our wish to offer foreign nationals the service they deserve. Read more about it on our English page.