2024 is a year full of elections around the world. And Belgium is no exception. On Sunday 9 June elections will be held for the Belgian regional and federal parliaments as well as the European Parliament. And in the Autumn, on 13 October the polls will be open for Belgian municipal representatives. The BBCA has put together a quick guide to the how, what and when for voting in Belgium in 2024.
Who can vote?
If you are a Belgian citizen, you will be automatically registered to participate in all the elections - and participation is (at least in theory) obligatory.
If you are an EU citizen living in Belgium, you have the right to vote in both the European and municipal elections - but you need to make sure you are registered in advance.
If you are a non-EU citizen (and that include all ‘Brexit Brits’) living in Belgium for at least 5 years, you have the right to vote in the municipal elections - but again you need to make sure you are registered in advance.
More information here: https://www.commissioner.brussels/en/i-am-an-expat/elections-2024
Why vote?
If you are a Belgian citizen, then voting is seen as a duty and obligation of good citizenship. In theory you could be fined for not voting – although in practise this is a very rare outcome.
Government in Belgium has three levels: the federal level, the regional level (e.g. Brussels-Capital region), and the local commune/ gemeente local level.
The local level is important as it is the level at which citizens and residents have the most contact with government and has arguably the most impact on the day-to-day life of all citizens.
Your commune/ gemeente looks after your papers (e.g. Identity cards and passports, driving licences, births, deaths and marriages), social infrastructure and well-being (e.g. crèches, schools, homes for the elderly, social housing and a wide range of social services), public infrastructure (e.g. roads, sewers, lighting and cleaning/ rubbish collection) and your local public sports and leisure facilities.
Who’s who in the commune?
The maire or the bourgmestre is the boss at your commune/ gemeente! He or she must be a Belgian citizen. L'échevin / l'échevine or wethouder manages specific domains of activity such as planning and mobility. Together, the bourgmestre and all the échevins/ wetbouders compose the ‘Collège’. Along with the ‘Collège’, all the elected councillors compose the Conseil Communal.
Can I vote locally?
All Belgian citizens over 18 are obliged to vote in local elections. Citizens of the EU and third-country citizens (including the UK) can vote, but they are not obliged to vote.
To vote in municipal elections, foreign citizens (EU and non-EU) must first register to vote before 31 July 2024. For EU citizens all you need to register is your Belgian national identity number. For non-EU citizens, you will also need your Belgian national identity number but must also be able to prove that you have been resident in Belgium for five years or more.
To register either go to www.inscription.elections.fgov.be or go to your commune/ gemeente to complete a form.
Voting day – Sunday 13 October
Having registered you will receive a ‘convocation’ (an invitation to vote) with the address of your place to vote – the polling station. Polling stations will be open between 08h00 and 14h00 for paper voting and open to 16h00 if the polling station uses electronic voting, which is the case in Brussels.
More information
You can download a BBCA leaflet on the 2024 elections with more information and useful links here.
