Almost all residents aged 18 or older with Dutch nationality are allowed to vote in the House of Representatives elections. An estimated 360 thousand young people will be eligible to vote for the first time on October 29, as they will have reached voting age by then.
Almost 91 percent of the adult population is eligible to vote. This share is smaller than in previous elections: for example, in the 2017 House of Representatives elections, 94 percent were eligible. This is due to increased immigration; not all immigrants yet have Dutch nationality.
An estimated 28 percent of the voting population is 65 years or older. Thirty years ago, this was 18 percent. The share of voters up to 35 years old has been a quarter since 2010. In 1995, this was still a third. On average, the voting population is 51.1 years old, compared to 49.5 years ten years ago and 45.3 years thirty years ago.
The voting population is relatively old in the North Holland municipalities of Bergen (41.9 percent are 65 or older) and Laren (41.6 percent), and in Vaals (41.1 percent). Also, many voting 65-plussers live in other municipalities in Limburg, as well as in municipalities in the (North-)East and Zeeland. In the older age groups, there are more women than men eligible to vote, because women generally live longer than men.
Especially in student cities, the voting population is relatively young. In Groningen (39.9 percent) and Utrecht (39.6 percent), the share of 18- to 35-year-olds is the largest, followed by Leiden, Nijmegen, Wageningen, and Delft. Among municipalities without a university, Urk has the largest share of voters in the youngest age group (35.9 percent).
In Vaals, the voting population is the smallest: only two-thirds of adult residents are allowed to vote. Many people with Belgian or German nationality live there. Additionally, in large cities, the share of adult eligible voters is smaller because there are relatively many people without Dutch nationality. In and around Amsterdam (including Diemen and Amstelveen), three-quarters of the adult population may vote. The share of residents with voting rights is also lower than average in The Hague and Eindhoven.
In municipalities in the North and East of the Netherlands, the share of adult eligible voters is the largest. The top three consists of Tubbergen, Dantumadiel, and Bronckhorst (all over 98 percent).
