Residents of the village of Celles in Hainaut, Wallonia, are heading back to the polls today.
The results of the municipal elections held on 13 October were annulled due to irregularities with proxy votes.
In the village with fewer than 6,000 inhabitants, near Tournai, Mayor Michaël Busine’s (LB-OC) list fell short of an absolute majority by just 18 votes.
Les Engagés and Celles Demain announced shortly after the election that they would govern the municipality, holding nine seats compared to eight for the mayor’s list.
Busine, alongside another local list called Celles Moment, appealed to the Council for Local Elections.
The parties identified irregularities with approximately 40 proxy votes, including issues with signatures, cancellations, or missing documents.
The complainants argued that the disputed proxy votes could have decisively influenced the narrow election outcome. The Walloon administration confirmed the irregularities and their potential impact on seat distribution.
The Council for Local Elections, comprised of provincial governors and experts, supported this assessment and annulled the election on 25 November.
The Council’s review found that 22 out of 2,015 proxy votes failed to meet the required criteria, more than the 18-vote margin that determined the result.
No one appealed the annulment, necessitating new elections. Voters today will be able to choose from the same four lists as on 13 October.
