Good turnout at overnight polling stations, aimed at getting young poeple to vote

The nighttime polling stations saw a good turnout, with hundreds of votes cast. These polling stations are aimed at convincing young people to vote while they’re out and about, enjoying the nightlife. Most other polling stations opened at 7:30 a.m., although opening times may vary at some locations.

By 1:00 a.m., the nighttime polling stations in The Hague had already attracted more voters than during the entire night in 2018, a spokesperson for the municipality said. 220 people cast their votes at two locations on Grote Markt. In 2018, a total of 140 votes were cast. Before the polling stations opened, there was live music and a debate, which attracted many young people.

In Arnhem, Mayor Ahmed Marcouch opened election night with a rap performance. According to his spokeswoman, 298 people voted at the nighttime polling station. “It was packed.”

50 to 55 people cast their votes in Castricum, Noord-Holland, a municipal spokesperson said. Several people also had proxies with them, so the actual turnout was higher. D66 candidate Erik Hordijk was the first to cast his vote in Castricum, where it is a tradition to try to be the first one to vote.

The Zuid-Holland town of Maasluis organized nighttime voting for the first time and hoped for 50 voters. The turnout was 43. The municipality considers the event a success.

There was also overnight voting at Het Vliegende Paard in Zwolle, and at the production house Flow in the Rotterdam district of Charlois.

People can vote anywhere in the municipality where they are registered. In Rotterdam and Amsterdam, 16- and 17-year-olds can vote for neighborhood councils, village councils, and district committees. That vote must be cast at a polling station in their own neighborhood.