Am I eligible to vote during the municipal elections?
Yes, if you are a resident of a Dutch municipality and:
- You are an EU-citizen;
- Or you have been legally resident in the Netherlands for at least five years.
Voting for internationals
This page gives general information about the municipal elections. That last one took place in 2018 and the next will be in 2022. Looking for information on why to vote D66 in Wageningen?
Why should I vote during the municipal elections?
There is one simple reason: Wageningen is your city too! The municipality plays an important role on issues such as traffic (bike, car, public transportation), leisure (sports, bars, cultural events) and facilities (Startpunt, public information and events). Different political parties have varying views on how these topics should be prioritised. There are also large ideological differences on how parties view topics such as immigration, sustainability and the European Union. You have a say in this, your vote shapes the future.
Do I need to register as a voter?
No, if eligible to vote you will automatically receive an invitation via a so-called poll card (stempas) by mail from your municipality.
When will I receive this polling card?
Your municipality is required to send you a poll card at least 14 days before the elections are held. If you haven’t received your voting pass you should contact your municipality. In Wageningen, this is: [email protected] or via the phone on:
+31 317 49 29 11
For more information on the elections, take a look at this website: https://www.wageningen.nl/verkiezingen/
Having troubles? We are happy to help. Send an e-mail to [email protected]
When can I vote?
The next elections will be held on 14, 15 and 16 march. You can vote between 7:30 and 21:00. Keep this website in mind for the most updated information.
Where can I vote?
You are allowed to vote in any polling station within your municipality borders. This can be a polling station near your home or workplace, but it could also be somewhere else, for example at the Forum building on the WUR campus. A list of all the polling stations in Wageningen (including accessibility in case of a physical impairment) can be found here.
On your poll card (stempas) the address of one specific polling station will be printed. This is only a suggestion by the municipality for a polling station nearby your home. But you are not obliged to vote there.
What should I bring when voting?
You need to take 2 things with you when going to vote:
- Your poll card (stempas).
- A valid form of identification (eg. passport, driver’s license or ID card).
How does voting work?
When you enter the polling station (stembureau), you will be met by 3 or 4 people sitting behind a table. They are the polling station members. You hand them your poll card (stempas) and a valid identification document. They will check your name against a list of excluded persons. After this (quick) check you will receive your voting pass which is a large paper document folded together. You will then be able to enter a voting booth where you can unfold the voting pass.
In the voting booth there will be a red pencil that should be used to select the candidate of your choice. You cannot vote solely for a party but must vote for a specific candidate within the party. If you have no particular preference you can simply vote for the first candidate listed within a party. You vote for a candidate by colouring in the open circle that will be displayed in front of the candidate’s name. After this you should fold the document back to its original shape (more or less) and proceed towards the ballot box, outside the voting booth, into which your folded voting pass should be placed. You are now done and can leave the polling station. It is important to keep in mind that;
- You may only enter a voting booth one person at a time. The only exception is if you are with your children, they can go into the voting booth with you.
- You may only select one candidate by marking the circle in front of their name. If you mark multiple candidates then your vote becomes invalid. Anything else done with the voting pass, apart from marking one candidate, will render the vote invalid.
What are D66’s standpoints?
This is an English summary of our election manifesto for the elections in March 2022. Do you have questions about our program or do you want to know how we think about a topic that is not described here? Then send us an email via [email protected]. If you want to help us during the campaign, be welcome and sign up at the same address!
- Climate and our environment:
Wageningen has sufficient plans to achieve climate neutrality. In the past years, it has reached approximately 30% of its climate goals. That is quite the achievement, but we certainly aren’t there yet. To be climate neutral there is still a lot to do. As recent flooding events have shown, the climate crisis does not wait for us to take action. D66 wants to use the upcoming years to speed up the realization the energy transition. We want to secure 80% solar panel roof coverage and double digits in energy savings. We also want to work on an even greener city and on a model where green infrastructure is not seen as a financial burden but as a valuable asset. We would like to see this as an integral part of all our city plans. - Housing and spatial planning
Housing in Wageningen needs innovative and creative concepts. D66 wants to bring motion in the housing market by creating viable options for different housing needs. We want to make sure that everyone can live in a nice neighborhood. Housing options need to be affordable, sustainable, and as green as possible. We want to make Wageningen even more attractive for its citizens by investing in our historical city structures and by improving the existing infrastructures. This way we want Wageningen to become an even more inviting and cozy meeting place with a flourishing city center. We want to promote nature-inclusive city design and development and we want to reduce (noise) pollution, litter, and cut-through traffic. - Economy innovation, mobility, and reachability
Wageningen has a beautiful historic city center that can become much stronger if we invest in it correctly. We see a nice ‘axis’ from the Nieuwe Vrijheidskwartier with Hotel de Wereld, de Aula, de Bevrijdingstraat and the 5 Meiplein to the city harbor. By making the start of this axis a point of interest, we can create a logical path through the city center, from which stores, restaurants, and hotels can benefit. We find it important to actively search for opportunities and concepts that can benefit retail, hospitality, and recreational businesses in Wageningen. A couple of keywords for this are: Capital of the Food Valley, city of sciences, innovation, creativity, cultural, sports, and artisan. - Connecting via sports and cultural activities
Sports and cultural activities are important for personal development and meeting other people. Creativity and exercising contribute to physical and mental health and bring joy in your life.
By being active in sports and cultural activities you meet other people from a diversity of cultural and social backgrounds in Wageningen, outside your educational or professional networks. Therefore, D66 considers sports and cultural activities as one policy domain.
For instance: our sports accommodations can also be used for rehearsals by a performing group or for storing their musical instruments or stage sets. - Sustainable social policies
D66 strongly supports the care Wageningen provides for the well-being of our inhabitants. However, according to us, this can be done in a more effective and sustainable way, by changing how Wageningen provides its support. We think it is important that customization is provided and that is why we want to ensure a suitable offer to specific individual questions. In doing so, we aim to enable immediate action and stay away from bureaucracy and papers. Offering customers and professionals the opportunity to have a good conversation, will help them arrive at the best workable solution.
By acting fast and adequately, the care and welfare work should ideally be provided as a temporary support. So the focus is on supporting people in need instead of keeping them as ‘prisoners’ in a welfare system. - Education and personal growth
The best we can give each other is a feeling of high self-esteem, confidence, and a good education. Education has always been and still is one of the most important pillars of an open and happy society. Education is also a place where an inclusive society can be built. This happens by getting to know each other, coming from different neighborhoods and backgrounds. Playing together, learning together and stimulating each other to improve is something we can all participate in.
Schools are therefore great places for growth and ambition. And even though everybody has different talents and qualities, learning from each other has enormous value.
Together with educational institutes in Wageningen, the local government should provide the right support and ensure good quality school buildings. We can stimulate and facilitate cooperation between institutes as well as support important educational programs. We are happy to talk about and investigate these opportunities.
D66 would like to stimulate inclusive schools, create a solid basis with practical education and eliminate low literacy rates. - Job market
D66 believes in people’s strengths. Everybody needs to get the chance to participate because having a job leads to self-reliance and progress. On top of that, it contributes to happiness. D66 believes that achievements should be rewarded, and at the same time, we believe that all should benefit from the wealth being created.
Those of us who are not able to work or are not able (anymore) to take care of themselves, deserve a helping hand from the community and the local government. D66 does not aspire a system that keeps unemployed people stuck inside welfare. We want the local government to support them in their journey towards a paid job or participate in our community in other ways. - Safety and security
Wageningen is a safe city, and we want to keep it that way. Everybody needs to be able to walk on our streets safely, anywhere, and at any time of the day. Without safety, there is no freedom, democracy, or rule of law. The local government has to play a role by sustainably countering crime and harassment.
Wageningen is proud being a Rainbow City. An inclusive community is crucial for us. Regardless of what you look like, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, a handicap, everybody needs to be safe on our streets.
Recently, safety became more important in other aspects as well. Digital security, privacy, and protection against Covid also need more attention in the coming years. - Style of governance
D66 stands for transparent and responsible governance. We value that Wageningers know and can see that their city is governed in a transparent way and that decision-making is clear and democratic. A couple of structural changes can help support participation in our city. - Finances
D66 stands for a responsible fiscal policy. This way, we assure that we can afford the social policies of today in the future as well. We call this sustainable social policy. We also think there is a need for more investments for long-term goals.