Annual report 2018 Dutch Electoral Council

Municipal council elections in combination with an advisory referendum on the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2017 were held in 335 municipalities. It was also the year when the Advisory Referendum Act was repealed. Since 1 July 2015, voters could submit requests to hold an advisory referendum about a treaty or Act of Parliament that had been approved or adopted, but had not yet entered into force.

Image: ©Dutch government / Dirk Hol

In 2018, the Electoral Council issued the following recommendations:

  1. Recommendation on the Election Results (Determination Procedure) Adjustment draft legislative proposal
  2. Recommendation on an amendment of the Electoral Act to simplify casting a vote from abroad
  3. Recommendation on the GDPR (Amendment) Decree
  4. Recommendation on the BES Islands Electoral Colleges Implementing Decree draft decree
  5. Evaluation recommendation with respect to the municipal council elections and the advisory referendum of 21 March 2018
  6. Recommendation on the legislative proposal on the allocation of additional Dutch seats in the European Parliament
  7. Recommendation on the amendment of the Electoral and Referendum Regulation in connection with the introduction of the electoral colleges on the BES islands
  8. Recommendation on the amendment to the Electoral Decree and the Temporary Experiments Decree in connection with the simplification of casting votes from abroad
  9. Recommendation on the amendment to the Electoral and Referendum Regulation and other legislation in connection with the repeal of the Advisory Referendum Act
  10. Recommendation on the amendment of the Electoral Regulation and the Temporary (Central Counting) Experiments Regulation in connection with the simplification of casting votes from abroad and the electronic publication of official reports