Amsterdam city council has pulled back on plans to spend €400,000 on encouraging people from ethnic minorities to vote after protests from some parties that the campaign would favour the ruling PvdA.

The money will instead be used for a city-wide campaign to emphasise the importance of voting involving banners on trams and waste collection vehicles. It will also include what the Parool calls ‘joke stunts’ such as a free massage for the first five people to vote.

The city has over 600,000 potential voters and last time round turnout was 51.4%. Polling stations in the capital will also be located in the Rijksmuseum and in the aquarium at Artis zoo.

Amsterdam’s borough council for Zuid is planning to spend €60,000 to encourage expats and youngsters to vote, local broadcaster AT5 reports.
This will include using the city’s official expat centre, mailings to expat clubs, housing agencies and consulates, the borough council document shows.