/ 2 March 2010

Pop concert votes help Dutch beat apathy

Polling booths at a pop concert and on public transport: Dutch officials are trying novel ways to entice apathetic voters to cast ballots in municipal polls on Wednesday.

“We want to reach out to as many people as possible by making the elections playful and fun,” said Tina Erhami, a spokesperson for The Hague municipality that will throw a big party in the city centre — with voting from midnight.

The previous municipal elections in 2006 saw an average national voter turnout of 41%.

The Hague will be among many cities trying to increase this figure, hosting a party with rap and pop artists, with political debates in between, in a shopping street.

The party will finish at midnight, after which polling booths will open in what the city claims is a first for Europe.

Youngsters are not the only ones being targeted: the city will also have mobile voting stations on a vintage tram and bus to “appeal to the nostalgia of older inhabitants”, she added.

In Amsterdam citizens can subscribe to an SMS reminder service on voting day. “You have such a good voice, it would be a pity not to use it,” states the message.

In Rotterdam, polling stations have been installed at the central station for travellers. Elections will take place in 394 municipalities on Wednesday with official results expected two days later. — AFP