Day of candidacy

On January 31, 2022, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., political groups will submit their candidate list to the Central Voting Office of the Municipality of Kerkrade. This is done by a voter in person at the City Office, Markt 33 in Kerkrade. Digital or postal submission is not possible! We ask you to inform the Elections Office in time that you wish to submit a list of candidates. You can do this by sending an e-mail to verkiezingen@kerkrade.nl.

Notice! If a party submits a list of candidates later than 5 p.m. on January 31, 2022, the party cannot participate in the municipal election. The party will then receive a written rejection. The rejection can be appealed directly to the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State in The Hague.

The municipality is organizing a no-obligation trial submission on Monday, January 24, 2022. This is by appointment only: you can register via the e-mail address verkiezingen@kerkrade.nl During this test submission we will look at the candidate list and the requested attachments with you. All documents will be returned to you with any suggestions for improvement.

You keep the documentation yourself - and add to it if necessary - in order to have the list of candidates and attachments delivered in person by a voter on January 31, 2022, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thus, you cannot leave the file with the municipality in advance after the trial submission.
 

For candidacy, parties (per candidate list) pay a deposit of €225.00 by October 11, 2021. 

The deposit does not apply to existing parties currently represented on the Kerkrade City Council. It does apply to new parties that are already registered nationally or provincially and are not yet represented in the municipal council.

You can transfer the amount of € 225.00 to account number NL49BNGH0285004484 of the municipality of Kerkrade stating 'guarantee deposit for candidacy + name of party'. 

This deposit will be refunded to you in the following cases:

• If no valid list is submitted, after the results of the election are determined by the municipality, the deposit will be returned to the person who made the payment.
• If a valid list does get turned in, the deposit will be returned after the results are determined, unless the vote count of the list is less than 75 percent of the electoral tally (Section P 5 Elections Act) and the list is not assigned a seat.
• In all other cases, the deposit expires to the municipality.

Parties must submit at least 20 valid declarations of support.
A declaration of support is a written statement by an eligible voter supporting a party's participation in the election.
For the declarations of support, the party uses the prescribed model H 4, which lists all candidates in the correct order. 

Caution! If the party later changes the order of candidates, all previously prepared statements of support must be re-submitted! 

The person entitled to vote receives this form (model H 4) from the party - with the candidates listed on it - and goes with it to the Civil Affairs counter at City Hall. There he shows his valid ID to the official and then signs the declaration in the presence of the official.

Who do not need to submit statements of support?

• Parties to whom seats were awarded in the last Municipal Council election in Kerkrade in 2018.
• Parties combine the designations and one or both parties are assigned seats.
• Parties merge into a new grouping and all parties are allocated seats.
   

When submitting a list of candidates, several documents must be submitted in addition to the list of candidates (Model H1). The following are requested:

1. Candidate list (model H1), on which all candidates are listed in the correct order and with the correct data. You can create these with the OSV software (see below under OSV).
2. Declaration of Consent (Model H 9). A declaration of consent to candidacy is submitted for each candidate on the list. A candidate residing outside the European part of the Netherlands must designate an authorized representative within the European part of the Netherlands on the declaration of consent.
3. Copy ID of all candidates. A copy of a valid proof of identity will be handed in from each candidate. A valid proof of identity means: valid passport, valid driver's license or valid identity card (a document referred to in Art. 1 of the Compulsory Identification Act). Please note that the new model passport, driver's license and identity card has the BSN or social security number on the back, so the back of the identification document must also be copied. It is not allowed to mask or cross out data on the copy.
4. Statements of Intended Settlement. A declaration must be submitted from candidates on the list who do not live and are registered in the municipality of Kerkrade that they intend to take up residence in the relevant municipality in the event of appointment. See Elections Act Section H 7.
5. Authorization to place appellation above list (Model H 3-1). To place a registered appellation of the party above the list of candidates, submit with the list a statement by the party's (deputy) proxy authorizing the submitter to do so. If necessary, you request this in a timely manner from the national headquarters of your own party. See Elections Act article H3.
6. Declarations of Support (Model H 4). All parties provide at least 20 valid statements of support for candidacy (see above at 2.4).
7. Proof payment of deposit € 225.00. All parties must pay a candidate deposit (see above at 2.3).
8. Merging designations (Model H 3-2). If 2 or more parties submit one list together, they may choose to merge the appellations or abbreviations thereof above the list, provided they are registered in time. In that case, statements by the (deputy) proxies of the relevant political parties, authorizing the submitter to do so, must be attached to the list. See Elections Act Section H 5. 
    

Parties submitting a list of candidates must meet all the requirements of Chapter H of the Elections Act and Chapter H of the Elections Decree. The Central Electoral Bureau examines this. In doing so, the submitted paper file is leading and not any supporting digital files from the OSV software or other applications.

On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, in a closed session (without pu-blic), the Central Voting Bureau will examine and provisionally assess all submitted candidate lists and attachments. If one or more documents are not in order or missing, the Central Voting Bureau will inform the party submitting them as soon as possible. The party then still has the opportunity on Wednesday, February 2 or Thursday, February 3, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and on Friday, February 4, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., to correct the deficiencies and submit new documents.

On Friday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m., the Central Voting Committee will make its final decision on the validity of the candidates and candidate lists in a public hearing (with audience).