Voter registration
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Elections: voter registration
Belgian voters
All Belgian citizens, aged 18 and older (16 for the European elections), who enjoy civil and political rights on the day of the election, have the right and the duty to vote in the municipality where they are entered in the population register on the day the electoral roll was closed.
Non Belgian voters
Foreign citizens are eligible to register as voters for certain electoral votes:
European elections: if you reside in a member state of the European Union, you can ask to be admitted to the electoral roll for the European Parliament election no later than 31 March 2024
Municipal elections: Regardless of whether you are a resident of a European member state or a non-EU state, you can request to be registered for the next municipal elections no later than 31 July 2024
Conditions to be
- Be a national of a European member state;
- Be 18 years of age or older on the day of the elections;
- Enjoy civil and political rights;
- Be entered in the population register of a Belgian municipality not later than the day on which the electoral roll was closed;
- Be registered on the electoral roll of their municipality, either directly online or by filling in a form Registration European elections or Registration municipal elections
European civil servants must use the paper forms.
- Be at least 18 years of age on the day of the elections;
- Enjoy civil and political rights;
- Be entered in the population register of a Belgian municipality not later than the day on which the electoral roll was closed;
- Reside in Belgium for a continuous period of 5 years ;
- Be registered on the electoral roll of their municipality either directly online or by filling in a form and undertake to adhere to the Constitution, the laws of the Belgian people and the European Convention on Human Rights.
These downloadable forms can also be obtained freely from the municipal authorities. They need to be completed and can either be handed in without appointment at the population register.
Important
- Once registration has been completed, voting is compulsory, including for future elections
- If you have already voted during previous municipal and/or European elections, there is no need to renew your registration. Voter registration remains valid as long as you continue to meet voting conditions, do not waive your eligibility to vote, have not been subject to a removal from the population register, regardless of your municipality of residence in Belgium.
- Non-Belgian citizens can request to be removed from the electoral roll after the elections
- You may authorize another person to vote in your stead
- If you become a voter in the municipal elections, you do not lose the right to vote in your country of origin
Letter of invitation
Each voter receives a personal letter of invitation from the College of Mayor and Aldermen or the Municipal College. This letter states the address of the polling station where the voter must go.
Voting by proxy
Voters need to cast their vote in person.
Some voters may however vote by proxy, delegating their voting power to a representative, to enable a vote in absence.
- Voters who are unable to get to the polling station due to illness or infirmity. This incapacity needs to be proven by a medical certificate;
- Voters who are unable to get to the polling station due to professional or service reasons, which are to be certified by the employer;
- Voters who exercise the profession of boatmaster, travelling or fairground merchant whose family resides with them. The exercise of these professions must be attested by a certificate issued by the Mayor of their municipality, available at the population register;
- Voters who are incarcerated on the day of the election, as certified by the head of the institution where they have been incarcerated;
- Voters who, because of their religious beliefs, are unable to get to the polling station, as attested by a certificate issued by the religious authority;
- Voters who are unable to get to the polling stations for study reasons, as attested by a certificate issued by the governing body of the school institution;
- Voters who are absent from their residence on the day of the election because of a temporary stay abroad for non-professional reasons. In this case, a request must be submitted to the population register no later than fifteen (15) days before the elections. If the request is accepted, they will receive a certificate which grants dispensation for voting in person. Si la demande est acceptée, il recevra un certificat qui le dispensera d'aller voter en personne.
Each proxy may only hold one proxy vote. The proxy form is available at the municipal authority (population register) and on the regional election website. The proxy holder must vote in the polling station where the voter was intended to vote.
For more information:
Last modification: 2024-04-04 08:54:22
