Nijmegen shatters 40-year voting record with 58.4% turnout in municipal elections trial
Nijmegen residents have set a new benchmark for civic engagement, with a 58.4% turnout in the 2026 municipal elections—the highest in four decades. The city also tested a new A3-sized ballot paper, aiming to streamline vote counting and reduce errors, marking a significant step in modernizing local democracy.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Turnout | 58.4% (highest in 40 years) |
| Previous Turnout (2022) | 54.1% |
| Previous Turnout (2018) | 57.1% |
| Historical High (1986) | 67.9% |
| New Ballot Paper Size | A3 (smaller than traditional) |
| Voting Method | Two-step: mark party, then candidate number |
| Polling Stations | 85 |
| Poll Workers | 1,052 (staffing stations) + 180 (counting votes) |
| Preliminary Results | Expected March 18 evening (parties), March 19 evening (candidates/seats) |
| Final Results | March 26 |
| Trial Evaluator | Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations |
The Municipality of Nijmegen is responsible for organizing and overseeing local elections, ensuring a fair and accessible voting process for its residents. As part of this role, Nijmegen participated in a national trial to test innovations like the new ballot paper, which could shape future election procedures across the Netherlands.
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Preliminary turnout for Nijmegen municipal elections 2026 highest in 40 years
The preliminary turnout for the 2026 municipal elections in Nijmegen stands at 58.4%. This is the highest turnout in Nijmegen in 40 years (in 1986 it was 67.9%). In 2022, turnout was 54.1% and in 2018 it was 57.1%.
Nijmegen participated today in a nationwide trial and voted for the first time using a smaller A3-sized ballot paper. On this new ballot, voters mark not one but two boxes in red: first for the desired political party and then for the candidate’s number. The trial with the smaller ballot aims, among other things, to speed up and simplify the counting process, thereby reducing the risk of counting errors.
Mayor Bruls: “This excellent turnout figure shows that Nijmegen residents are engaged with their city and with democracy. The highest turnout in 40 years! Free elections are a great privilege. This turnout makes me, as mayor, proud. We can therefore have confidence in the resilience of our local democracy. The voting process at the 85 polling stations in Nijmegen today also went smoothly with the new ballot paper. Voters were informed in advance and at the polling station about how it works. Of course, it’s a different way of voting, so it took some getting used to for some, though we also heard many positive reactions. I’m also curious about the experiences of the counters tonight and tomorrow. The trial will be evaluated nationwide after the elections by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. My heartfelt thanks go to the 1,052 people who staffed the polling stations and the 180 people who will count the votes tomorrow. The trial also required extra flexibility and effort from them. I can confidently say that Nijmegen has successfully celebrated the festival of democracy today—and the results are yet to come!”
Results
The preliminary results per political party for Nijmegen are expected to be announced late this evening and will be published on nijmegen.nl/verkiezingen and the municipality of Nijmegen’s social media channels.
On Thursday, March 19, the votes will be counted starting at 9:00 AM in De Ark van Oost. This counting process is open to the public. The preliminary results per candidate and polling station, as well as the preliminary seat distribution, are expected to be published Thursday evening on nijmegen.nl/verkiezingen.
The final results for Nijmegen will be announced on Thursday, March 26.