Nighttime voting sees good turnout as Dutch local elections kick off

Polling stations across the Netherlands have opened for voters to cast their ballots in the 2026 local elections. In several Dutch cities, some polling stations even opened at midnight on March 18 and have seen a good voter turnout so far. 

Polling stations open for 2026 municipal elections

While most polling stations are open for the local elections from 7.30am to 9pm on March 18, some opened at 12am in an effort to attract young people to vote while enjoying a night out. This nighttime voting was a success in several Dutch cities this year. 

To draw young voters in, The Hague had a debate and live music before the polling station opened to draw younger residents in. Because of this, The Hague had seen more votes cast by 1am than during the whole night in 2018. According to AD, 220 people had cast their votes at locations on the Grote Markt, significantly more than the 140 in 2018. 

298 people voted late at night in Arnhem, after Mayor Ahmed Marcouch kicked off the election night with a rap. The location of polling stations also varies, from train stations to cafes.

Voter turnout has been on the decline for several years, dropping from 59 percent in 2006 to 51 percent in the previous local elections in 2022, reports RTL Nieuws. There are concerns that this year will see a historically low turnout if the trend continues, but the hope is that the sunny weather on Wednesday will get people outside to vote. 

For information on how to take part in the 2026 local elections, take a look at our guide on how to vote.

Exit polls to be announced tonight

Dutch news broadcaster NOS will announce the results of the exit polls conducted by Ipsos I&O as the polling stations close at 9pm on Wednesday. Exit polls give us an idea of what the results will show before all the votes have been officially counted.

The final election results for many municipalities will likely only be announced later this week, but the interim results, based on 50 to 70 percent of the votes, should start trickling in tonight. 

For example, the municipality of Amsterdam will likely release interim results between 11pm and 1am. "The times are not guaranteed, as this depends on the turnout and the speed of the counting. The higher the turnout, the longer it takes for all votes to be counted," the municipality told AT5.