Elections 2024: You don’t have to vote, but please, do. Unless …

Local elections will take place at municipal and provincial levels in Belgium on Sunday, 13 October. In the run-up to the vote, Belga English explores the main issues to watch out for and provides a daily overview of events.

-Since long, voting is obliged in Belgium, contrary to most countries in the world. But for this election, things will be a bit different. The local elections are organised by the regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) and in Flanders it was decided to drop the obligation. It was argued that this way politicians are obliged to defend the system of democracy: before asking people to vote for you, you first have to convince them of voting.

Tuesday, the Flemish government starts a campaign to stimulate people to go to the voting booth. On Monday, a group of civil society organisations also started such a campaign. They fear that in the long run, people who don’t vote will be forgotten by politicians. ​ Experts expect that the number of non-voters will be rather limited, since all Belgians are used to going to the voting booths. Over time, the number could increase.

-In one Flemish municipality, nobody will vote. In Herstappe, in the east of Belgium, there are only 72 inhabitants, and only one list for the municipal elections. So, the leader of that list will be the future mayor: Marlutje Jackers, already mayor today.

-In Brussels, at the regional elections of 9 June, newcomer ‘Team Fouad Ahidar’ was the big surprise, with 3 seats in the Brussels parliament and 1 in the Flemish parliament. Fouad Ahidar, who left Flemish socialist Vooruit after several conflicts, wants to continue his momentum and will participate in eight of the Brussels municipalities and four of the Flemish cities on 13 October.

_{#FlandersNewsService | Fouad Ahidar (middle) © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE}