Many polling places getting crowded as work day ends, rain begins

Rain showers were beginning to develop in the west of the Netherlands on Wednesday evening, just a few hours before polls were set to close in the 2025 General Election. Many polling places became busier than earlier hours, with people trying to cast a ballot on their way home from work while doing their best to stay dry. Voters in the five largest cities all seemed to race to the polls, with turnout in Amsterdam up to 54.9 percent at 6 p.m., nearly two percent more than the same moment during the 2023 election. National turnout remained slightly lower at 48 percent, compared to 50 percent in 2023.

Weather website WeerOnline warned anyone trying to vote Wednesday night to brace themselves for rainy weather. Dutch meteorological service KNMI said it expected rain to move in from the west on Wednesday evening. “Heavy rain will occur at times. The wind inland will be moderate from out of the south,” the agency said. While weather can have an impact on voter turnout, there are few conclusions to determine whether this benefits specific parties.

Large train stations throughout the country are seeing an increase in voters during rush hour, an NS spokesperson told ANP. There are a total of 50 voting locations at train stations throughout the country, with most of these staying open until 9 p.m.

Latest numbers show that around 2,500 people have used the voting location at Den Haag Centraal to vote, with over 3,000 people voting at Utrecht Centraal. “Everything’s running smoothly, the queues are moving quickly,” the NS spokesperson said. Those trying to vote at the stations still need to be from the same municipality where they are attempting to cast a ballot, unless they have a special voter’s pass to do so elsewhere.

Meanwhile three of the five largest cities saw a peak in voters casting ballots during the 5 p.m. hour. Nearly 30,000 people voted in Rotterdam that hour, second only to the 24,400 who voted from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Ballots were being handed out quickly at the start of the 6 p.m. hour, as well.

In The Hague, about 23,800 people voted in the 60 minute window starting at 5 p.m., while 20,400 voted the hour before that. Both periods were also the most since the polls opened. About 9,500 people cast a ballot in Eindhoven from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 12,200 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., again the two busiest hours in the fifth largest city in the Netherlands.

With showers predicted to move in from the west, eventually covering most of the Randstad area, traffic also built up to a high point for a normal Wednesday evening. There were over 625 kilometers of traffic jams on Dutch roadways by about 5:30 p.m., according to travel association ANWB. Aside from the inclement weather, significant delays built up due to an accident on the A2 near Valkenswaard, and an overturned truck on the A59 near the A16.

In addition to the election on Wednesday, fewer people take days off at the end of October and beginning of November, which is right after the autumn school holiday period. The organization noted that the weeks after the clocks roll back one hour for winter time is also the period with the most severe evening rush hours.

There were a few issues on the Dutch rail network, with fewer regional trains running between Den Haag HS and Dordrecht due to the delayed completion of maintenance. This impacted passenger service in both The Hague and Rotterdam, and several municipalities in the area. Train service was also at a standstill between Veenendaal and Rhenen due to a defective train, with a replacement bus service helping to bring people home during rush hour.

In any case, the weather in Limburg is expected to remain dry until later in the evening, according to WeerOnline. The fairly strong winds should continue into the overnight hours and Thursday morning, the KNMI stated.