Info
Voter Registration
VR001
Voting age
Question: What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
Answer:
c . 18
Comments: Article 61
The members of the House of Representatives are elected directly by citizens who are at least eighteen years of age and who do not fall within the categories of exclusion stipulated by the law.
Each elector has the right to only one vote.
Article 1.
§ 1. In order to be eligible to vote one needs to fulfill the following conditions:
1° be a Belgian citizen
2° is at least 18 years of age;
3° be enlisted in the population register in a Belgian municipality or a population register in a
diplomatic post or consulate
4° not be in one of the situations or cases of exclusion mentioned in the present Code.
§ 2. The conditions mentioned in § 1st, 2° and 4°, shall be met on the day of the
elections. The conditions listed in § 1, 1° and 3°, shall be fulfilled on the date of the closure of the
voters’ list
§ 3. Voters who fail to satisfy the conditions mentioned in § 1, 1° or 3° between the
date or closure or the voters’ register and the day or the elections shall be deleted from the voters’
register.
Voters who are arrested or convicted after the voters’ list has been established, shall be either
excluded or suspended from the right to vote and shall be deleted from the voters’ register on the day
of the elections.
Source: The Belgian Constitution, Article 61
http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/GrondwetUK.pdf
Electoral Code of Belgium, Article 1
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BE/belgium-electoral-code-2014/view
Verified: 2019/04/25
VR002
Other voting requirements
Question: Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
Answer(s):
a . Citizenship e . Other
Comments: a) Belgian citizenship
e) Registration in the population registry of a Belgian community
Source: The Belgian Constitution, Article 61
http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/GrondwetUK.pdf
Electoral Code of Belgium, Article 1
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BE/belgium-electoral-code-2014/view
Verified: 2019/04/25
VR004
Authority responsible for voter registration
Question: Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
Answer:
c . Local Government Authority
Comments: Article 10.
§ 1. In the case described in article 105, the Council of the burgomasters and lay
judged closes the list of voters 24 days before the Election Day.
In the case mentioned in article 106, the list of voters is closed on the date of the royal decree
that fixes the date of the elections. The voters are nevertheless invited to vote on the basis of the list
which has been drafted for the regular meeting of the electoral committees if the dissolution of the
Chamber of Representatives takes place after the 24th day preceding the date of the regular meeting
of the electoral committees meaning an election has to be organized before the scheduled date.
§ 2. The voters’ list contains the name, first names, birthdate, gender, main place or
residence and the identification number from the national register or individual residents as it is
stipulated in article 2, sentence 2 of the law from 8 August 1983. The register uses a continuous
numbering and is organized by municipality or if not available, by section of a municipality either by
alphabetic order of the voters or by geographic order of the streets.
§ 3. If the elections for the Chamber of Representatives take place on the same day
as the elections to the European Parliament, the list of the Belgian voters enlisted in the population
register or a Belgian municipality for the elections to the European Parliament equally serves as the
list of voters for the election to the Chamber of Representatives.
Source: Electoral Code of Belgium, Article 10
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BE/belgium-electoral-code-2014/view
Verified: 2019/04/25
VR008
Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Question: Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: Article 10
§ 1. In the case described in article 105, the Council of the burgomasters and lay
judged closes the list of voters 24 days before the Election Day.
In the case mentioned in article 106, the list of voters is closed on the date of the royal decree
that fixes the date of the elections. The voters are nevertheless invited to vote on the basis of the list
which has been drafted for the regular meeting of the electoral committees if the dissolution of the
Chamber of Representatives takes place after the 24th day preceding the date of the regular meeting
of the electoral committees meaning an election has to be organized before the scheduled date.
§ 2. The voters’ list contains the name, first names, birthdate, gender, main place or
residence and the identification number from the national register or individual residents as it is
stipulated in article 2, sentence 2 of the law from 8 August 1983. The register uses a continuous
numbering and is organized by municipality or if not available, by section of a municipality either by
alphabetic order of the voters or by geographic order of the streets.
§ 3. If the elections for the Chamber of Representatives take place on the same day
as the elections to the European Parliament, the list of the Belgian voters enlisted in the population
register or a Belgian municipality for the elections to the European Parliament equally serves as the
list of voters for the election to the Chamber of Representatives.
Article 16
On the date of closure of the voters’ list, the Council of burgomasters and lay judges
informs the citizen by publishing a bulletin in the usual form, inviting them to verify until the 12th
day before the Election Day the voters’ list during the opening hours of the municipal administration
to check if they themselves or any other person is listed or listed correctly. This bulletin explains the
procedure of complaints and appeals as stipulated in articles 18 and following.
Source: Electoral Code of Belgium, Article 10
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BE/belgium-electoral-code-2014/view
Electoral Code of Belgium, Article 16
http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BE/belgium-electoral-code-2014/view
Verified: 2019/04/25
The data on this page is continuously updated.
Additional, but potentially outdated material is available here.
