René works as a volunteer at a polling station

René is looking forward to the municipal elections on Wednesday, March 18. "We’re going to make it a great day." Since 2014, his workplace, the Hague Football & Cricket Club Quick (Quick), has served as a polling station. And René has been a polling station volunteer for 12 years. "It feels good to do something for the municipality. For me, it’s a small effort. I’ve also been a volunteer referee for football matches here at the club for years."

Quick is one of 260 polling stations in The Hague. With a polling station roughly every 370 meters, as many residents of The Hague as possible can cast their votes. "At our location, you don’t just see club members—people from the entire neighborhood come by."

The morning shift team

René is now experienced in running a polling station. "On election day, I arrive at 6:00 AM. Before the doors open at 7:30 AM, we set up the voting booths and hang the poster with all the candidates." This time, René is organizing this with his good football friend, a neighbor, and his brother-in-law. Together, they make up the morning shift team. "At 4:00 PM, the afternoon volunteers take over."

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A familiar face at the polling station

"It’s always a very pleasant day. Many people who come here with their polling cards know me." René has been a member of the club for more than 50 years and even lives across the street from it. Does it help that he’s a "familiar face" working at the polling station? "I’m not sure. I don’t tell people they *have* to vote. But the club’s website does state that you can vote here, and the ‘polling station’ flyer has been hanging in the window for over a week. It’s not always an advantage that I know so many people. Sometimes someone forgets their passport or ID. Luckily, as the fourth member of the polling station team, checking IDs isn’t part of my duties," René says with a laugh. "That’s the job of the deputy chair. As the fourth in line at the polling station, I hand out the ballot papers and keep an eye on the space and the people. I have a chat with some, help others reach the voting booth with their walker."

Applause

"When the youth train on Wednesday afternoon, parents often take the opportunity to vote. With the younger siblings of the training kids around, there’s a lively atmosphere in the clubhouse. The seniors train later in the evening, so they vote just before the polling station closes. And if someone is voting for the first time, they receive applause."

A fresh election day

"All in all, it’s always a long but enjoyable day," René says. "I’d recommend it to others." He’s happy with the organization by the municipality. They ensure that materials like voting booths, ballot papers, red pencils, pencil sharpeners, food, and drinks arrive on time. The municipality also provides clear online training on how polling stations work and offers a small compensation. During the pandemic, when different rules applied, we received good explanations in advance—for example, that the route for voters had to be adjusted and that we had to air the space more often. I remember it being an especially fresh election day. Even Mayor Van Zanen stopped by once. That was a special experience."

Counting the votes

"When the polling station closes at 9:00 PM, I’ve already prepared the space for counting the votes." In addition to being a polling station, Quick is also a vote-counting location. "We count the votes in the after-school care room next door, not on the floor like in many places—I’d get a backache just thinking about it. We count at tables. After counting, the chair brings the iPad and the official report to city hall. Then I tidy up the space and prepare the materials for the municipal staff to collect the next morning. Around 11:30 PM, I lock up the clubhouse and the grounds and head home with a satisfied feeling."