I amsterdam letters to make brief return on Dam Square for national elections

The controversial “I amsterdam” letters are set to return to the centre of Amsterdam in October. The city logo will be placed on Dam Square until the end of the general election as part of a campaign to improve voter turnout. 

I amsterdam sign makes short comeback in Dutch capital

The 2-metre-high and 24-metre-long I amsterdam sign stood on Museumplein for decades, becoming a city landmark, before being removed in 2018 after a GroenLinks motion got a majority support among city council members. Overcrowding and the nuisance caused by mass tourism from the sign were the main reasons behind its removal.

Smaller versions of the letters are still present today, like those at Schiphol Airport, while the main sign has been kept in storage. However, the letters, each weighing an average of 250 kilograms, will come out of hiding for a special campaign to encourage people to vote in the national elections on October 29.

Dam Square new temporary home for I amsterdam letters

The letters will appear on Dam Square this month with a giant ballot pencil, replacing the “I”. The large pencil, costing 5.850 euros, was originally created in 2019 for the provincial council elections but was ultimately not placed due to a tram attack in Utrecht, which halted campaigns.

Two polling stations will also be located on the square. According to De Telegraaf, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema hopes that the letters will draw in young people who would take selfies with the sign and encourage them to vote while they’re in the vicinity of the voting stations. 

One of many campaigns for Dutch elections

This is not the only campaign that Amsterdam has employed to improve the voter turnout this year. The municipality previously raised eyebrows with a sign telling people to “Cast your vote for the House of Representatives on 29 October” in English.

While there may be many English speakers in the Dutch capital, it is well known that you have to be Dutch to vote in the national elections, which could cause confusion among residents who do not have Dutch citizenship. 

TikTok also recently launched an in-app Election Centre, where it claims Dutch users can find reliable information about the national elections in the Netherlands. In a press release, the social media platform claimed that the Election Centre would “make it easy to find authoritative information about voting and the election”.

“It provides an overview of the election in the Netherlands with information on the voting process, tips on how to recognise misinformation, and the rules that apply to political parties and candidates,” TikTok wrote.

“There are also direct links to reliable sources, such as the official website of the Electoral Council and the Ministry of the Interior.” The app will also monitor misinformation and direct users to the Election Centre on livestreams and searches related to the elections.