Candidate

Create candidate lists in OSV (Election Support Software).

The Electoral Council provides support software (OSV) for compiling candidate lists and all the forms that go with them. You can download the software, as soon as it is available, from the Electoral Council's website. All necessary documents for the nomination of candidates are automatically created in the OSV. The central electoral committee in Zoetermeer checks the submitted candidate lists for validity. The software is expected to be available in mid-December.

Below you will find an outline of the rules for candidate lists. You can find all information about the rules at Kandidaatstelling | Verkiezingen | Kiesraad.nl

Who may be on the candidate list?

• Residents of Zoetermeer who are 18 years of age or older.
• Minors may be candidates if they turn 18 before the day of nomination, and thus can still take their seats during the term of the new council.
• Zoetermeer citizens who do not have Dutch nationality may apply if they are EU citizens or have lived legally in the Netherlands continuously for more than 5 years.
• Candidates who do not live in Zoetermeer may be placed on the list only if they submit a declaration stating that they will live in Zoetermeer if appointed to the council.
• The candidate's name may not appear on any other candidate list in Zoetermeer.

Support statements

A statement of support is a written statement by a resident (eligible to vote) supporting electoral participation by a party. You must submit a minimum of 30 written statements of support nationwide when:

• Your party is participating for the first time
• Your party participates with a blank list
• Your party did not receive a seat in the previous election

The forms for declarations of support can be created in OSV software. Zoetermeer voters can hand in these declarations of support from January 19 to February 2, 2026 at the front desk in City Hall. No appointment is required for this.

Costs

If you are participating in the municipal elections for the first time or did not obtain a seat with your political party in the previous municipal elections, you must also pay a deposit of €225 for the list of candidates. The deposit is refunded if you did not submit a valid list of candidates or if your party won a seat or at least 75% of the electoral quota.

Please transfer € 225 to account number NL14BNGH0285010158 in the name of Municipality of Zoetermeer, stating:

• Security deposit candidacy 2026
• Name of political party
• Address to which the receipt should be sent

After payment, you will receive a receipt. This is one of the documents that must be turned in when submitting candidate lists.

The amount must be credited to the said account by January 19, 2026.

Pre-submission

You can have all the documents you need to submit checked in advance for accuracy and completeness. This is called pre-filing. This gives you time to correct errors. The pre-filing is on Monday, Jan. 26, and Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.

Even if the pre-filing shows that the documents are in order, you must still submit the documents on the day of the candidate filing. To make an appointment for pre-filing, please email verkiezingen@zoetermeer.nl.

Day of candidacy on Feb. 2, 2026

Monday, January 31, 2022 is the day of the nomination of candidates. The submission of candidate lists must be done between 9:00 and 17:00 at the central polling station of the municipality, Engelandlaan 502 in Zoetermeer. You will receive an invitation for this day. You must be authorized by your political party to submit the documents.

What to turn in on Feb. 2, 2026

• Candidate List
• Statements of consent from all candidates
• Copy of valid ID of candidates not yet on the municipal council
• Copy of valid ID of the submitter

Where necessary, you also deliver:

• Declaration of residency of candidates who do not live in Zoetermeer that they will reside in Zoetermeer upon appointment.
• Designation of authorized representative on form for non-resident candidates
• Form showing the authority of the person submitting the list (if the authorized person does not submit the list himself).
• Statement from the agents showing authority to merge, if you submit one list of candidates together with another party.

Parties that do not yet have seats on the council must also file:

• Proof of payment of security deposit of €225 for candidacy.
• 30 statements of support

Research candidate lists

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the central electoral committee will check the validity of the candidate lists in a closed session. If, for example, documents are found to be missing, the central electoral committee will inform you. Parties can put these "remediable omissions" in order within 3 days to be allowed to participate in the municipal elections.