Big stakes, low turnout. How can we make local politics something we all feel part of?
Political scientist Floris Vermeulen on declining turnout in municipal council elections, and what we can do about it.
3 March 2026
Many people see national politics as more important than local politics. According to Vermeulen, this is a familiar pattern. The Dutch national parliament receives more media attention and formally holds greater power. At the same time, however, local authorities have taken on many additional responsibilities in recent years, including youth care and the accommodation of asylum seekers.’ People should realise that their vote at local level matters more and more, because many decisions are taken there that directly affect their lives.’
Certain groups have a relatively much lower turnout than others: young people, people with a migration background and those with vocational education.
The real issue: unequal turnout
Turnout in local council elections has been declining for years and in many cities now falls below 50 per cent. But according to Vermeulen, the inequality in turnout is the more pressing concern. ‘If that 50 per cent were evenly distributed across different groups within a municipality, there would not be much of a problem. But in practice we see that certain groups have a relatively much lower turnout than others. This applies, for example, to young people, people with a migration background and those with vocational education. As a result, they are less well represented.’
Floris Vermeulen is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). For 25 years he has researched how local democracy functions in increasingly diverse cities. He looks not only at local councils, but also at neighbourhoods, organisations, and the question of who does and does not feel engaged in politics.
Alongside his position at the UvA, Vermeulen works one day a week as Professor of Urban Political Inequality, Infrastructure and the Social Capital of Marginalised Communities at the University of Twente.
We have granted many groups the right to participate, but we have not given them the means.
More people are entitled to vote
There is another factor at play in local elections. EU citizens who are not Dutch nationals, as well as non-Dutch residents who have legally lived in the Netherlands for five years, are entitled to vote in municipal elections. This means more people can vote locally than in national elections. However, many labour migrants, expats and international students are unaware that they can vote, do not speak the language well, or do not feel addressed by local politics. The right to vote exists, but the engagement does not. Vermeulen explains: ‘We have granted many groups the right to participate, but we have not given them the means.’
Sometimes, the sense that politics does not reflect their concerns, leads to support for newer parties, but that effect is often temporary.
A sense of exclusion
Research shows that people who feel excluded from society have less trust in politics. ‘Sometimes, the sense that politics does not reflect their concerns, leads to support for new parties, such as Bij1 or DENK. But that effect is often temporary. More generally, that sense of exclusion leads people to disengage,’ says Vermeulen.
This feeling is also linked to representation. Many people do not recognise themselves in the local council. Councillors are often not a good reflection of the population. The role requires considerable time and is usually only manageable alongside part-time work – or no other job at all. Not everyone has that flexibility, meaning some groups are structurally underrepresented in local politics.
After every election, another study is conducted into low turnout. But structural change fails to materialise.
A vicious circle
If people hear little about local politics, they become less interested. If they are less interested, they are less likely to vote. And if they do not vote, they feel less involved. This creates a vicious circle. It is not surprising that many people hear little about local politics. Due to shrinking budgets, local media outlets are disappearing. As a result, information about local councils reaches residents less effectively.
Vermeulen sees a recurring pattern: ‘After every election, another study is conducted into low turnout. But structural change fails to materialise. Four years later, little has changed, so there is a strong chance that turnout in the next election will be even lower.’
Voting young matters
Research shows that those who do not vote from a young age are unlikely to start later in life. Vermeulen: ’The effect of not voting at a young age is significant. It is much harder to engage later on.' There are, however, initiatives aimed at engaging young people earlier. 'In Almere, for example, pupils are introduced to local politics several times during their school years. There are also initiatives such as Represent Jezelf, which seek to reach and motivate young people via social media.’
Compulsory voting is the only measure proven to increase turnout.
Back to compulsory voting?
According to Vermeulen, the responsibility for increasing engagement lies primarily with politics itself. Investing in neighbourhoods and community organisations is crucial. ‘Compulsory voting is the only measure proven to increase turnout and reduce differences in turnout between groups. But forcing people to vote does not solve the issue of trust. What matters is giving people real responsibility and taking them seriously. Invest in neighbourhoods, organisations, and in a politics that actively reaches out to those who currently stand at the margins.’