So, yes, the turn-out for national elections is always bigger than in the US (for the European Parliament it is lower and for municipalities and provinces it is also lower; we don't combine all these votes in one day).
One of the reasons for this, I think, is also because we don't have to register in advance. We automatically get a voting card send to our address 2-3 weeks prior to the elections. So people can decide at the very last moment whether or not they want to vote.
And I think that the logistics in The Netherlands makes it easier to vote: people can vote at several of the large train-stations (Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam), and although we have had waiting lines for the polls, a nouveauté, most polling stations hardly had waiting lines. And of course there were A LOT of polling stations. In my city of The Hague, of a little over half a million residents, there were almost 250 polling stations. Within 1 kilometer of my house, there were 5 polling stations.
So voting is made very easy and that may also explain part of the difference in turn-out in the US and The Netherlands.
--Previous Message--
: 80% would be a huge turnout in most western
: democracies (those with compulsory voting
: excepted). Is it high turnout for the
: Netherlands or do the Dutch tend to have a
: greater rate of civic participation than,
: say, their American friends?
:
: --Previous Message--
: I had to stand in line in The Hague (and I
: didn't even vote at Des Indes ). Really a
: first, but luckily it was just 10 minutes.
:
: The turn-out is expected to be a little over
: 80% based on the % of voters at 18:00 which
: was 55%. And three more hours to go and in
: the past a lot of people voted after 18:00;
: after returning home from work.
:
: --Previous Message--
: I did so around noon in lovely, Sunny Assen;
: Cycling to the townhall with my partyshawl
: around my neck. Tonight after 21.00 all
: parties here come together in our local
: theatre. (perhaps I'd better leave the car
: at home ...)
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: Back in 1922 women were allowed to vote for
: the very first time and in Royal Residence
: The Hague Queen Emma set a true example by
: voting!
: I do hope all Dutch readers/members of this
: Board will vote today too!!!
:
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:
: https://www.facebook.com/omroepwest/videos/1328428313879743/
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