The inhabitants of Gorinchem in Zuid-Holland may have to return to the ballot box due to possible election fraud, local media reported.
Mayor Reinie Melissant was told of 10 signs pointing to potential fraud by staff at several voting locations.
At one location, 135 of the 650 votes were cast by proxy, which is a “relatively high number”. One of the candidates came to the same polling station five times, each time accompanied by one or two voters armed with proxy votes.
An initial investigation by police confirmed possible fraud. Melissant told local media that people had been “approached by phone and pressurised into allowing others to vote for them”, which is a criminal offence.
The council must now decide if the elections have to be redone although the Kiesraad, the body which supervises the election process, said a repeat would present its own problems.
“A partial of complete repeat of the vote is very rare and far-reaching,” the Kiesraad told the council in a letter. “Voters can adapt their vote based on the results of the first ballot and not everyone who voted the first time around may be willing or able to cast their vote again,” the letter said.
Local authorities expert John Bijl said the the council faced a dilemma. “The results could change. But if the council doesn’t call another election the suspicion will remain,” he said.
The council will vote about holding a new election on Monday, which will then have to take place within the next 30 days.
Local party Democraten Gorinchem won seven seats on the town council in last week’s election, with another local party Stadsbelang winning four. D66, the VVD and GroenLinks-PvdA each won three on the 25-seat council.
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