This year, as a voter, you will not color one, but two red dots during the municipal council election. Together with ten other municipalities, we are participating in an experiment with a new – and especially smaller – ballot paper. What does this mean for you as a voter?
Experiment with smaller ballot paper
The current ballot paper is large and therefore difficult to handle for voters and polling station staff. This was experienced nationwide during the last House of Representatives election. Therefore, the national government is working on a new and smaller ballot paper. At the invitation of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), we are participating in the experiment with a new ballot paper for the 2026 municipal council election.
The ballot paper used in the experiment makes the voting process more accessible, clearer, and more efficient. It becomes easier to cast your vote. The new ballot paper also improves the voting process for blind and visually impaired voters.
Project leader Elections Jeroen van Hoof also sees this: “Because the ballot paper is smaller and more readable, it becomes easier for residents to cast their own vote. No more hassle with unfolding huge ballot papers and very small letters. In addition, counting becomes simpler and faster and less paper is needed. This also means fewer ballot boxes, less transport, and less storage space.”
How does it work?
The names of the candidates are no longer on the ballot paper but on a separate candidate list. This candidate list is sent to the voter at home before the election. On election day, the candidate list is also available in every voting booth.
On the candidate list, voters can look up the candidate they want to vote for. Next to the candidates name is a number. The voter colors that number red on the ballot paper. The voter also colors the dot of the party of their choice red.
Come and try it!
In our city office in ’s-Hertogenbosch, a voting booth is set up where you can view all the new materials. In addition, voters will be prepared for the use of the new ballot paper in the coming months.
About the experiment
Besides our municipality, the following municipalities are participating in the experiment: Alphen aan den Rijn, Nijmegen, Meijerijstad, Boekel, Tynaarlo, Noordoostpolder, Leiden, Soest, Gouda, and Midden-Delfland. After each election where the new ballot paper is used, the results are compared with so-called ‘shadow municipalities’ that use the current ballot paper. It is not yet clear how long the experiment will run or when a new ballot paper will be introduced nationally.
For more information, visit the Municipal Council Election page.