Voting

If you are a European citizen residing in Belgium, you can participate in municipal elections (referred to as ‘élections communales’, or local elections, in Belgium).

In order to participate in these elections as a European citizen, you must meet five conditions, namely:

1. you must be an EU citizen;

You must be a national of one of the 27 Member States that make up the European Union on the date of the election.

2. you must be 18 years old on the day of the election;
3. you must be entered in the population register of a Belgian municipality;

This condition must be fulfilled no later than the day on which the electoral roll is closed (i.e. 1 August of the year in which the election is held).

4. you must not have been disqualified from voting;
5. you must be entered on the electoral roll.

Non-Belgian EU nationals must be entered on the electoral roll no later than the day on which the electoral roll is closed (i.e. 1 August of the year in which the election is held).

To do this, you must complete the appropriate form, which you can obtain from the local authorities in your main place of residence or print out from the federal elections website (www.elections.fgov.be).

Once entered on the electoral roll, you can automatically vote in the next municipal elections.

Voting in municipal elections is compulsory for registered voters. If you do not take part, you may incur a fine. This does not apply in the Flemish Region, where voting is no longer compulsory for municipal elections.

Standing as a candidate

In order to run as a candidate in the municipal elections, you must:

1. you must be an EU citizen;
2. you must be 18 years old on the day of the election;
3. be entered as a voter in the municipal elections (see above);
4. you must not have been disqualified from voting;

Non-Belgian EU nationals can be members of the municipal council (‘collège des échevins’, or College of Aldermen) but they cannot become mayor (‘bourgmestre’).

Support service

SPF Home Affairs– Elections Service

elections [at] rrn.fgov.be

Responsible entity

SPF Home Affairs– Elections Service

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