Is voting compulsory in the Netherlands?
Voluntary
Compulsory voting was repealed in 1967 after public polls showed declining support.
The Netherlands is one of 153 countries classified “Voluntary” for compulsory voting — 87% of the 176 with data. (Also searched as mandatory voting.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Compulsory voting
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Belgium
- Compulsory (not enforced) Voting is legally compulsory but not enforced in practice since 2003, though penalties exist on paper.
- Luxembourg
- Compulsory (enforced) Voting is compulsory for eligible citizens with fines up to €1000, though none have been imposed since 1963.
- Germany
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Denmark
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- France
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- United Kingdom
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
Other laws in Netherlands
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14
Every law in the Netherlands → · Which countries have compulsory voting? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.