6% turnout on first election day
On Monday, a total of 6 percent of Dutch voters cast their vote in the 2021 parliamentary election, according to research firm Ipsos. This does not include mail-in votes. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's election is being held over three days, instead of the usual one.
Approximately 1,600 polling stations were open on Monday between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. They're open again with the same hours on Tuesday. The intention is that people who are extra vulnerable to the coronavirus use this time to vote safely.
On Wednesday, all 9,200 polling stations will be open between 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. for all other voters.
Elderly people age 70 and older were given the option to vote by mail this year. About 8 percent of postal votes received were declared invalid due to form errors. Though Minister Kasja Ollongren of Home Affairs said she would change the procedure so that these could be counted too.
