A record number of over 255,000 Belgians living abroad have registered to vote in the upcoming national and European elections on 9 June, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
Belgian nationals living abroad have five options for casting their votes. They can vote in person on 5 June at the consular post in their host country, by proxy at the same consular post, or send their votes by post 24 days before the election. Additionally, they can also vote in person or by proxy in their home municipality in Belgium.
The previous election in 2019 saw around 178,000 Belgians abroad participating. The increase in registration numbers could be partly explained by voting now being mandatory for 16- and 17-year-olds in the European elections.
Furthermore, there are more Belgians residing abroad compared to five years ago, with numbers rising from 476,653 to over 537,000 in 2024.
