Some figures for 2021: 1579 candidates, 37 parties, 150 seats, and 1 Netherlands. Every four years during the House of Representatives elections, we elect 150 members of the House of Representatives. For the next four years, they will decide on the rules in the Netherlands. And they decide where the Dutch government spends its money. Due to the coronavirus, there are three days on which voting is possible: March 15, March 16 and March 17, 2021Furthermore, people aged 70+ can also vote by mail. The blog was written specifically for the youth of stamp collecting clubs.

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives decides, for example, on: PovertyIn the Netherlands, there are people who do not have enough money to live on. They earn too little from their work or they are unemployed. The House of Representatives decides how we support these people.

 

 

Health; People want to live long and healthy lives. How do hospitals ensure this? Which measures help against the coronavirus? And how much are healthcare workers paid? The House of Representatives decides on this.

Education and childcare: Parents want their children to receive a good education at school. Many children go to after-school care. The House of Representatives decides on education and childcare. How many children are in a class? And how much do teachers get paid? Climate and nature: We are a small country with many people. We also have areas with nature. The House of Representatives decides on nature and climate regulations.

Safety: The police issue fines and arrest people who break the rules. These people can also receive a prison sentence. The House of Representatives makes rules and decides on the police and prisons.

The army: The army defends our country. The army also assists with floods and combating the coronavirus. The army is also deployed abroad. The House of Representatives decides the size of the army and how many weapons and aircraft are needed.

[One_half] [/ One_half] [one_half_last]              [/ One_half_last] Work and benefits: Working people usually have enough money to live on. They pay taxes and often do not need government benefits. Other people do need benefits because they are unemployed, sick, or retired. The House of Representatives decides how to ensure there is work for everyone and determines the level of benefits.

Tax: The government needs a lot of money to pay for our public services. That is why we all pay taxes, such as income tax. The House of Representatives determines which taxes we have to pay and how much.

Digital elections

Due to the coronavirus, all political parties are unable to organize large-scale meetings and meet citizens. We also miss the flyers from the 37 political parties. Four years ago, the parties were present in busy places such as stations, shopping centers, and markets. I haven't seen them yet so far. We have to look for information about party manifestos on the parties' websites on the internet and during the various debates in TV programs (talk shows). [/ One_half] [one_half_last]            The election campaigns of most parties take place almost entirely digitally via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The message you receive depends on the social media algorithm. Do you recognize the social media logos in this beautifully designed sheet from Spain?

Municipalities

You should have received a voting card and instructions from your municipality with the layout below. In the voting booth, you can choose from candidates from no fewer than 37 political parties. That is a record number. In 2021, there are 10 female lead candidates from 37 parties, and that is also a record. There are three options for casting your vote: voting at the polling station on March 17, 2021, early voting for voters vulnerable to the coronavirus on March 15 or 16, 2021, and mail voting for voters aged 70 and older. Above you see a preliminary study of a possible design for the 1977 election stamp. In 2017, the national turnout was 81,9%. The lowest turnout was four years ago in Heerlen: 72,2%. In 2017, I also wrote a blog post about the 2017 House of Representatives elections. This link is below. 1977 was the last time the postal service issued a stamp for elections. The final design looks very different.

More Info

https://stemwijzer.nl/ https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/verkiezingen https://www.parlement.com/ https://www.postzegelblog.nl/2017/03/03/tweede-kamerverkiezingen-1977-2017/ Source used: ProDemos.