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.

Voting in Belgium is an obligation as much as a right. Under Belgian law, every Belgian citizen and every foreigner who is registered on the electoral list must vote. Anyone who fails to vote without a valid reason can be prosecuted and fined.

In certain exceptional cases, you can apply to vote by proxy if you are unable to vote on polling day (because of absence abroad, illness, professonal obligations, etc), To do so, you must nominate a person that you trust to cast a vote on your behalf on polling day. In this case, the “applicant” transfers his or her vote to the “proxy”, who casts a vote in place of the applicant.

PROCEDURE FOR VOTING BY PROXY

> Choose your proxy. The proxy does not have to live in the same municipality as you, but they can only vote by proxy in your polling station. Note that no-one is allowed to cast more than one proxy vote.

> Fill in the proxy application to indicate your consent. You can download the form below or pick up a free form at your local town hall.

 formulaire procuration.pdf (French version)

 volmachtformulier.pdf (Dutch version)

> Include a declaration indicating your personal circumstances and the reason why you are unable to vote in person on the day.

• Residence abroad: the burgomaster of your municipality must acknowledge that it is impossible for you to vote. The request has to be submitted at least 15 days before polling day. You are issued with a certificate (attestation) after you have provided the necessary documentation establishing your residence abroad
• Illness or handicap: medical certificate required
• Professional obligations or official assignments: certificate from your employer or the public body for which you work
• Students prevented from voting by studies: certificate from the director of the relevant educational establishment
• Prisoners and other people deprived of liberty: certificate from the director of the institution where confined
• Absence on the grounds of religious convictions: certificate from the religious body

> Give the completed form to your proxy, along with the relevant certificate and your polling card.

> On polling day, your proxy has to go to the polling station indicated on your polling card to vote on your behalf.

Note:

If you failed to vote (either personally or by proxy), you should write as soon as possible to the Justice of the Peace (Juge de paix) in your district, explaining why you were unable to vote. You should enclose all the relevant documents to explain your absence. The justice of the peace has the right to determine whether an absence is deemed justifiable or not.