2024 est une année électorale chargée à Bruxelles et en Belgique ! Le dimanche 9 juin, les électeurs éliront les parlements régional et fédéral ainsi que les députés belges au Parlement européen.
Les ressortissants des États membres de l'UE qui vivent en Belgique peuvent voter aux élections européennes ici. Pour participer, il faut être inscrit sur la liste électorale de votre commune.
La date limite pour s'inscrire aux élections européennes est fixée au 31 mars 2024.
- De grands changements verront le jour en 2024 : les jeunes de 16 ans auront le droit de vote et on peut désormais s'inscrire en ligne sur les listes électorales !
- S'inscrire, c'est très facile : inscrivez-vous en ligne ou envoyez le formulaire papier à votre commune par poste.
- Regardez les infopages pour trouver toutes les consignes nécessaire pour faire entendre votre voix. (Les pages Elections 2024 sont disponibles uniquement en anglais. Pour des informations en Français, visiter le site élections du gouvernement fédéral belge.)
- Toujours des questions? Contactez l'Expat Welcome Desk pour un accompagnement sur mesure!
Use your vote! Sign up today to participate in the European elections
On Sunday 9 June, voters in Belgium will elect regional and federal parliaments as well as the Belgian members of the European parliament. EU citizens living in Belgium cannot vote for the regional or federal elections, but they can register to vote here for the European elections. To participate, you need to make sure you're signed up on the electoral list. The deadline to register for the European elections is 31 March 2024.
There are some big changes in 2024: 16 year olds will get the vote, and non-Belgians can now register to vote online! Read on to get some context, or check out the FAQ with all the information and instructions you need to make sure your voice is heard.
The European elections are one of the world’s greatest exercises in democracy, with more than 400 million citizens eligible to vote. These elections choose the members of the European Parliament, one of the key EU institutions based in Brussels. The European Parliament is the collective voice of EU citizens, and a place where laws and rules for the whole EU are debated and approved. The EU implements all kinds of projects across Europe, including right here in Brussels. And EU law has a huge impact on vital areas of our life: the environment, the economy, security, migration, our rights as citizens, worker and consumers… so it is really important to have your say as Europe goes to the polls!
If you are an EU citizen, you have the right to vote (and stand) in the European elections in your home country, or in another EU country where you live. There are common principles and a shared calendar for the elections, but each country decides how exactly they will run the vote according to their own laws and traditions. In Belgium, for example, we will vote on Sunday 9 June and voting is compulsory for adults who have registered. Belgium is also opening the right to vote for 16 and 17 year olds for the very first time, including young citizens of other EU countries!
EU citizens living in Belgium can vote here just like the Belgians, so long as you register by 31 March. But you cannot vote in both here and in your country of origin, so you need to choose where you want to vote. Registration is really easy: just sign up online or send a paper form to your municipality (commune/gemeente). Visit the FAQ to find all the instructions and information about registration and voting.
Sadly, turnout for the European elections is often low, especially among people who have moved from one EU country to another. In 2019, only 20% voted back in their home country and only 10% voted in the country where they live. That means that these “mobile EU citizens” were much less likely to vote than the EU population as a whole, even though they really experience the reality of EU freedoms every day. Even the EU citizens who live in Brussels, the capital of Europe, do not register and vote in high numbers – despite the fact they make up almost a quarter of the population.
Of course, there are good reasons for this. It can be difficult to understand how to vote in your new country, or back in your home country as a citizen living abroad. That’s why commissioner.brussels and the Expat Welcome Desk are publishing information in English for EU citizens living in Brussels and Belgium. If you decide not to vote in your home country, we really encourage you to vote here in Belgium so your voice is not lost.
In the end, Europe saw a big increase in turnout for the last elections in 2019. We want to continue the trend in 2024, and helping mobile EU citizens use their right to vote is great way to do it!
Interested in registering to vote for the European Elections 2024?
- Check out our FAQ to get all the practical information.
- Have a look at elections.europa too.
- If you still have questions, contact the Expat Welcome Desk for personalised advice and support.
And what about the municipal elections?
2024 is a very big year for elections in Brussels and Belgium, as we also have municipal elections on Sunday 13 October! EU citizens living in Belgium can vote in the municipal elections, as can non-EU citizens living here for more than 5 years. The deadline to register for the municipal elections is 31 July 2024. We will release more information soon, but you can already sign up now using this online platform or with the paper form which you will find on elections.brussels.
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