Municipal Elections
The municipal elections are just around the corner, on the 3 March, 2010. The following is the ins and outs of the voting system, who is eligible to vote both EU and non-EU citizens and a list of the political parties.
Municipal elections
Every four years, citizens of Wassenaar go to the polls to elect a new City Council, new municipality councils, and a new council governing board, the next elections being March 3rd 2010. Currently, 6 different political parties make up the municipality council, four different parties form the College of the Mayor and Aldermen.
The Mayor is a Crown appointment and has a six-year term.
Who can vote
- All Dutch nationals aged 18 or over on polling day are entitled to vote in elections.
- Dutch nationals resident abroad are entitled to vote in elections to the Lower House and the European Parliament.
- In the case of Dutch nationals living in the Netherlands Antilles, certain conditions are attached: they must have previously resided for at least ten years in the Netherlands, or be a Dutch public servant, or be the spouse, partner or child of a Dutch public servant and form part of the same household as that person. Only those resident in a particular province or municipality on the day on which candidates are nominated may vote in the election for the provincial or municipal council concerned.
EU and non-EU citizens
- Non-Dutch nationals are also entitled to vote in municipal elections provided they satisfy a number of requirements. EU citizens are entitled to vote in municipal elections under the same conditions as Dutch nationals, provided they Non -EU have also to have been legally resident in the Netherlands for a continuous period of at least five years. This means that they must have held a valid temporary or permanent residence permit under article 8, sections a,b,d,e or l, of the Aliens Act 2000. The calculation of the five-year period of legal residence may also include any period during which the person concerned held a temporary residence permit under article 8, section C, of the Aliens Act 2000.
- In addition, non-Dutch nationals must hold a valid residence permit in terms of article 8, sections B, B, D, E or I of the Aliens Act 2000 on the day when the lists of candidates are submitted (nomination day). Residence under an agreement between an international organisation and the Dutch State concerning the establishment of that organisation in the Netherlands is deemed to constitute possession of such a valid residence permit.
The right to vote is not, however, granted to non-Dutch nationals who are members of staff of diplomatic and consular missions in the Netherlands, or on their spouses, partners or children if the latter form part of the same household.