Gorinchem holds new election after claims of proxy vote fraud

Voters in Gorinchem are going back to the ballot box on Wednesday in a re-run of elections ordered because of fears about electoral fraud.

The local council decided to cancel the results of the elections held in March amid allegations that voters had been coerced or enticed into signing off proxy votes, after some polling stations reported unusually high numbers of proxy mandates.

Police are investigating a formal complaint by the town’s mayor, Reinie Melissant, alleging that votes were solicited and signatures were forged in some cases.

Town councillors then voted 13-12 for a full rerun of the election, which was originally held on March 18, to ensure the new council started with a “clean mandate”. It is the first time a Dutch council has ordered a fresh vote as a result of allegations of fraud.

The results are expected to be declared shortly after midnight.

Commentators fear that turnout will be much lower than for the original election  because of voter fatigue and disillusionment with the system.

“It doesn’t help that these elections are taking place during the school holidays,” Tom Louwerse, professor of political behaviour at the University of Leiden, told AD.nl.

National leaders

Just over half of the 31,000 eligible voters took part in March, which was a day of nationwide elections with campaigns and media coverage.

This time the leaders of the nine parties have produced a joint video urging people to vote.

National politicians, including Christian Democrat (CDA) leader Henri Bontenbal, have also been in the area, drawing criticism from locally-based parties, Everdine Hamann, leader of Gorcum Actief, said it was “not totally fair” that some parties could call on their leaders in The Hague to boost their campaigns.

Melissant had hoped to organise the new elections in May, but electoral commission rules state that the new poll must take place within 30 days of being called.

She also called for the system of proxy votes, which allows people to authorise someone else to cast a vote on their behalf, to be reformed.

“Voting by proxy makes voting accessible, but also susceptible to fraud,” she said straight after the original poll. “I don’t wish what happened last week in Gorinchem on any other council.”