Thousands of Dutch polling stations fail accessibility standards

Nearly 10,000 polling stations across the Netherlands are legally required to be accessible for people with physical disabilities, but many fail to meet that standard, advocacy groups warn.

Data from waarismijnstemlokaal.nl show that when filtering for accessibility, about 800 polling locations are excluded, leaving fewer than 9,200 that claim to be accessible. Further filtering for audio-assisted voting reduces the number to 172. Support for visually impaired voters does not fall under the legal accessibility criterion, which focuses mainly on physical access.

The organizations raising concerns, Ongehinderd and Ieder(in), are Dutch disability advocacy groups. Ongehinderd monitors public spaces and polling stations for accessibility and provides guidance to municipalities on improvements. Ieder(in) represents people with disabilities and chronic illnesses nationwide, advocating for equal rights and consistent accessibility standards.

Both groups say the lack of clear definitions allows municipalities to label polling stations as accessible even when voters with sensory or cognitive impairments cannot vote independently. “Municipalities use varying standards, much information is incomplete, and there is no national quality control,” Ieder(in) said, adding that accessibility information should be “stronger, uniform, and mandatory.”

Gerard de Nooij, founder of Ongehinderd, said lack of knowledge underlies the problem. Municipalities may mistakenly consider a location accessible if a minor threshold is present. Ongehinderd monitors polling stations during elections and previous spot checks showed that 70 percent were not accessible, even though about 90 percent are listed as accessible online.

“Some municipalities make improvements, but the overall picture remains inadequate,” De Nooij said. He called for enforcement and proposed using “positive incentives,” such as subsidies, to encourage municipalities to improve accessibility. He added that sufficient funding is necessary and that the political system must act.

The Dutch Electoral Act instructs that polling stations be arranged so voters with physical disabilities can cast their votes independently “as much as possible,” a non-absolute standard. The Electoral Council advises municipalities to communicate clearly about the facilities at each location.