The Dutch cabinet will introduce a smaller ballot paper beginning with the European parliamentary elections in 2029, Minister Pieter Heerma (Interior, CDA) informed the House of Representatives on Thursday. The new format has already been tested in the last three elections, and the results were largely positive.
Simplification
Under the new system, the ballot will list only parties and candidate numbers, not candidate names. Voters will have to fill in just two boxes, one for the party of their choice and the other for their preferred candidate.
The most recent trial took place during the municipal elections in March. Heerma’s predecessor had indicated that nationwide introduction would be possible if this final test proved successful. According to Heerma, an earlier rollout is not feasible because the Electoral Act still needs to be amended.
Invalid votes
The trials showed a slightly higher percentage of invalid votes. Mistakes often occurred when voters selected a candidate number, even when the party choice was clear. Heerma wants these votes to count. If a voter chooses a party but writes a number that does not correspond to an existing candidate, the vote will be assigned to the lead candidate of that party.
Heerma also aims to strengthen protections against foreign influence in elections. He writes that he is working on legislation and on establishing an organisation that can systematically detect foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). Comparable bodies already exist in France, Germany, and Sweden.
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