Polls open in Netherlands for European elections; Five cities testing small ballot

The Netherlands is the first EU country to vote for the new European Parliament on Thursday. The rest of Europe is paying attention—also because since the PVV's election victory, the Netherlands is considered a precursor of a possible European move to the right. Most polling stations opened at 7:30 a.m. Five municipalities are experimenting with a smaller ballot this election.

Of the 720 Members of the European Parliament, the Netherlands elects 31. Five years ago, the PvdA, led by Frans Timmermans, became the largest party. But this time, even now that they are working with GroenLinks, the Social Democrats are neck and neck with Geert Wilders’ PVV, according to pollsters. The PVV only won one seat in 2019.

Brussels fears that the far-right party's improved polling is indicative of the rise of the radical right in Europe. Far-right supporters are also looking to win in countries like France, Italy, and Belgium.

Most EU member states will vote on Sunday, and only then will the election results be announced, However, the Netherlands will most likely get a reliable picture of the result on Thursday evening. Immediately after the polls close, NOS and research agency Ipsos will conduct an exit poll, a survey among voters who voted. Because fewer seats are at stake than in, for example, the parliamentary elections, it is less likely that seats will shift in the actual outcome.

Turnout at the European elections in the Netherlands is never high. Five years ago, less than 42 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. And that was a higher turnout than in previous elections. Various Dutch party leaders for the European Parliament fear that the turnout will not be much higher this time.

The Cabinet formation issues in our country may distract attention. The European campaign got off to a slow start, and the party leaders are hardly known. These are also the third elections in the Netherlands in a relatively short period, which means there is a chance of voting fatigue. The provincial Council elections happened in March Last year, followed by the parliamentary elections in November, and now the European Parliament elections today.

In Alphen aan den Rijn, Boekel, Borne, Midden-Delfland, and Tynaarlo, voters can cast their vote on a new, small ballot paper on a trial basis. It looks very different from the regular ballots, measuring only 40 by 30 centimeters.

The main difference is the formatting. The new ballot only shows the names and logos of the parties on the top half and the numbers—no longer the names—of the candidates on the bottom half. The voter casts their vote by coloring the box red for their preferred party and then the box next to the number of the desired candidate.

All voters have received the list of candidate names and numbers at home. The list is also hanging in the polling stations and voting booths. Anyone who makes a mistake in the voting booth can request a new ballot up to two times.

After the elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs will examine how the first test went and what could be improved. The Ministry will then decide whether the new ballot paper will be introduced throughout the Netherlands. The latter requires an amendment to the Electoral Act. Outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge previously said he hoped that “with the municipal elections in 2026, everyone can vote with the new ballot paper.”