Measure to end ballot box alliances gains steam

A majority of the Second Chamber wants to get rid of electoral alliances in elections. After several years of campaigning, VVD Parliamentarian Joost Taverne today received sufficient support for his argument that a vote for a party is not supposed to end up with another party. Together with the D66 and SP, the VVD managed to convince the Chamber to call on the Cabinet to change the law. Since 1973, electoral alliances have ensured that like minded parties benefit from each other's "leftovers" when it comes to seat distributions. Votes that are not sufficient for a whole seat, went to the other party. The VVD thinks this is outdated. According to Taverne, this rule suited the time that there was still a hope for further clustering of parties. He believes that goal is out of sight. It is now only about ordinary votes profit. For that reason, electoral alliances was removed from the First Chamber elections in 2010. In all other elections, local, provincial, national and European, electoral alliances can still be used.