Gigantic voting ballots to be scrapped by 2030

The government intends to do away with the large voting ballots, in favour of something smaller and easier to understand.

Home affairs minister Pieter Heerma said in a letter to parliament on Thursday that the Netherlands aims to move to a more condensed ballot in time for the European Parliament elections in 2029.

New ballots will not have the names of all the candidates, rather they will be listed in the polling booth. The new ballots will also use party logos.

As a result, the ballot is more manageable, “clearer, and easier to read for voters,” the letter said.

Votes will colour in two boxes: first for the political party and then for the candidate.

The government has been experimenting with a new ballot layout in the last two elections. In local elections in March, the new ballots were used in eleven municipalities.

The minister hopes that the new ballots will not only help voters but will also speed up the counting process. “Ballot boxes also fill up less quickly,” the letter said.

Voters will have one last opportunity to cast a giant ballot. Provincial council elections set for March 2027 will use the old ballot format.

Or, if the government falls before scheduled elections in 2030.

Changing the ballot format requires an update to the Electoral Act and that isn’t feasible before 2029, the minister said.