Brussels Minister hopes to encourage more foreign residents to vote in the municipal elections
The minister responsible for local government in the Brussels-Capital Region Bernard Clerfayt (Francophone federalist) intends to launch a campaign to encourage more non-Belgians that are resident in the capital to vote in next year’s municipal elections. More than a third of people that reside in Brussels are foreign nationals. However, only a very small minority of them minority participate in local elections. Mr Clerfayt hopes to persuade more non-Belgians to cast their vote in the next municipal elections that will be held at the beginning of October 2024.
EU nationals and nationals of non-EU countries that have been resident in Belgium for more than 5 years are entitled to vote in the municipal elections. However, unlike Belgian nationals, foreigners must first register their desire to vote before their name is added to the electoral register.
Once on the electoral register they are subject to the same obligations as Belgians. In Brussels this means that they are (still) legally obliged to a least turn up at the polling station. Of the 1.2 million inhabitants of the Brussels-Capital Region 36.9% are not Belgian citizens. However, at the last municipal elections in 2018 just 15% of the capital’s non-Belgian adults cast their votes.
In a statement Mr Clerfayt said that "It is our duty to involve all Brussels residents, including non-Belgians, in the electoral process. This is of democratic importance. Since they actively participate in Brussels society, it is normal that they also participate in appointing their local elected representatives.”
The Brussels Local Government Minister has issued a call to associations in the capital for projects that will encourage non-Belgians to take part in the local elections and make them aware of their voting rights and the importance of voting.
"I am convinced that some of these Brussels residents do not understand the importance of voting, are not sufficiently informed about the electoral system or are simply not aware of the fact that they have the right to cast their vote," Mr Clerfayt said.
