During the elections for the European Parliament in June, five municipalities, including Boekel, will vote for the first time with a smaller and more handy ballot paper. For this purpose, outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge (Home Affairs) has designated Alphen aan den Rijn, Borne, Midden-Delfland and Tynaarlo in addition to Boekel. It is a test.
Testing has already taken place with the new model. The votes cast on Thursday, June 6 with the new ballot will count towards the results of the European Parliament election. De Jonge wants to make the elections ‘even more accessible’. “If the experiment goes well, we want to change the law as quickly as possible, so that everyone can vote with the new ballot paper during the municipal elections in 2026.”
Candidate numbers
The current ballot is very large and difficult to read and handle for both voters and polling station members. Municipalities have also been asking for a new note that can be counted faster for some time. The form is also more accessible for voters with a visual impairment, because it is easier to use in combination with an aid such as audio support.
The note has an A3 format, with the logos and names of the parties on the top half. Candidate numbers are on the bottom half. There are no more names of candidates on it. These names are listed in an overview in the voting booth, and everyone receives that list at home.