This page refers to the municipal elections of October 2006 and will be updated as soon as detailed information about the next elections (2012) is available.

Have you carried out all the necessary formalities to exercise your right to vote in Belgium? Here are the steps you have to follow in order to actually vote on the 8th of October, along with a list of the main political parties active in Brussels Region.

Two weeks before the elections, a polling card (convocation) will be sent to your place of residence. On 8 October, you must go to a polling station in your municipality and register your vote. We explain below the procedures for voting in the municipal elections and the system of electronic voting. We also provide a brief introduction to the various political parties active in Brussels Region to help you navigate through the election maze.

NEW : Exercise your vote online !

POLLING CARD

Every registered voter is sent a personal polling card (convocation) by post before the elections are held. The polling card is sent by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in the municipality where the voter is registered at least 15 days before the date of the elections. This year, the polling card includes an information folder describing the functions performed by the municipal institutions and the procedures for voting.

If you are registered on the list of voters but have not yet received a polling card, you should collect the document from the secretariat in your local town hall. This can be done up until 12 noon on polling day.

The polling card includes the following information:

On the front:

• election date and address of the polling station in your district;
• number and nature of seats that are being contested in the election;  
• opening hours of the polling station;
• Christian name, surname, sex, and address of the voter, together with his or her number on the register of voters and, where relevant, the name of his or her spouse.

On the back:

• instructions for voting;
• rules for voting by proxy;
• some of the rules govening electoral expenses and lists of candidates;
• information on how voters can reclaim travel expenses under certain circumstances.

Be careful not to lose your polling card! It contains useful information and must be handed over to an electoral officer when you go to vote. The polling card is stamped with the official municipal stamp, proving that you have fulfilled your obligations as a voter.

Under Belgian law, every Belgian and foreign citizen whose name appears on the electoral register is required to vote. If, for some reason (e.g. professional obligations, travel abroad, illness), you are unable to vote on election day, you can apply to vote by proxy.

PROCEDURE FOR VOTING IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

You can only vote for a single party list, but you can exercise your vote in two different ways :

• Vote for the head of the list. To do this, you simply mark the box at the top of a party list, signifying that you accept the list of candidates in the order it is presented.
• You can vote for several candidates on the same list by marking the boxes opposite one or more candidates, thereby indicatinjg your preference for a particular candidate or candidates.

ELECTRONIC VOTING

Voting is carried out electronically in Brussels Region. For a vote to be valid, the following procedure must be followed:

• Go to the polling station at the address given on your polling card and hand over your identity card and polling card to the election official. You are given an electronic voting card in return.
• Go into the polling booth and insert the magnetic card in the voting machine. Now follow the instructions on the screen.
• Cast your vote by touching the screen with the optical pen. Confirm your choice and remove the magnetic card.
• Leave your magnetic card in the depository and collect your identity card and polling card (properly stamped by a polling station official)

Exercise your vote ! Voting simulation online

You can exercise your vote online on the election website of the Brussel-Capital Region www.bruxelleselections2006.irisnet.be. This application gives you the opportunity to get more familiar with the electronic voting system that you'll use on the 8th of October! The simulation is only available in French or Dutch.

Click here to start the voting simulation.

Download the application (Windows or Mac) on this webpage.

BELGIAN POLITICAL PARTIES

For more information on the main Belgian political parties, click on the following links:

• cdH  Francophone Christian Democrats
• CD&V   Flemish Christian Democrats
• Ecolo   Francophone Green Party
• Groen!   Flemish Green Party
• MR   Francophone Liberals
• sp.a   Flemish Socialists
• PS   Francophone Socialists
• VLD  Flemish Liberals