Voter turnout in the big cities was significantly lower than in 2018

Voter turnout in the 2022 municipal elections was significantly lower in many of the largest cities in the Netherlands compared to 2018. The turnout fell by more than six percentage points in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and by about five points in The Hague and Utrecht.

The city of Amsterdam said on Wednesday that 46 percent of the citizens of Amsterdam who are eligible to vote cast their ballot during the council elections. In 2018, that total was 52.2 percent.

Turnout was also lower in other large cities, especially in Rotterdam. The turnout this year was 39 percent. Four years ago it was 46.7 percent. More than 200,000 Rotterdammers cast their vote.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said he was disappointed that fewer than four in ten Rotterdammers could be troubled to vote on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. At Rotterdam city hall, he called the turnout "disappointingly low.” The average turnout for the 39 newly-formed district councils was 34.9 percent.

In The Hague, 43 percent of the citizens entitled to vote have cast their ballot. Four years ago it was 48 percent.

At 56.4 percent, the turnout percentage in Utrecht is also well below figures from the previous municipal elections. In 2018, the total was 59 percent.