List of elections in Belgium

Kingdom of Belgium
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
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This is an overview of all regular elections held in the Kingdom of Belgium since its independence. This excludes local referenda and local special elections. Municipal and provincial elections prior to 1919 are not listed either.

Constituent elections (1830)

Elections to the temporary National Congress:

Unitary state (1831–1994)

Parliamentary elections in 1831–1919

Representatives were elected for a 4-year term; half of the Chamber was up for election each two years. Senators were elected for an 8-year term; half of the Senate was up for election each four years. The first series (referenced as "E" here) consisted of the provinces of East Flanders, Hainaut, Liège and Limburg; the second series ("A" below) of Antwerp, Brabant, Luxembourg, Namur and West Flanders.

Equalisation of cens (tax as part of censitary suffrage) to the constitutional minimum by law of 12 March 1848.

Universal plural suffrage for men above 25 years of age; introduction of compulsory voting; elections are now always held on Sundays instead of Tuesdays; provincial senators introduced

Elections now use a proportional system with substitutes instead of a majority system with run-off and special elections

Elections in 1919–1994

Year Municipal elections Provincial elections Parliamentary elections Other
Following World War I, major reforms were passed:
  • A single vote per man instead of plural voting
  • Voting age was reduced from 25 to 21 years
  • A four-year full legislative term instead of partial renewal of the Chamber each two years
  • Introduction of co-opted senators
1919 N/A?16 November 1919[4]
1920 N/AN/A16 May 1920 (special Senate election)
1921 24 April 192127 November 192120 November 1921[2]
1925 N/A8 November 19255 April 1925[2]
1926 10 October 1926N/A
1929 N/A9 June 192926 May 1929
1932 9 October 19324 December 193227 November 1932[2]
1935 N/AN/A14 April 1935 (partial Chamber election in Brussels)
1936 N/A7 June 193624 May 1936[2]
1937 N/AN/A11 April 1937 (partial Chamber election in Brussels)
1938 9 October 1938N/A
1939 N/A?2 April 1939[2] (snap)
World War II
1946 24 November 194624 February 194617 February 1946[2]
Reforms:
1949 N/A26 June 1949[2]
1950 N/A4 June 1950[2] (snap)12 March 1950 (referendum)
1952 12 October 1952N/A
1954 N/A11 April 1954[4]
1958 12 October 19581 June 1958[4]
1961 N/A26 March 1961[2] (snap)
1964 11 October 1964N/A
1965 N/A23 May 1965[4]
1968 N/A31 March 1968[4] (snap)
1970 11 October 1970N/A
1971 N/A7 November 1971[2]21 November 1971 (Brussels Agglomeration Council)
1974 N/A10 March 1974[2] (snap)Including for the Council of the German cultural community
Large-scale merging of municipalities; their number was reduced from 2,663 to 589
1976 10 October 1976N/A
1977 N/A17 April 1977[2] (snap)Including for the Council of the German cultural community
1978 N/A17 December 1978[4] (snap)Including for the Council of the German cultural community
1979 N/AN/A10 June 1979 (European)
1982 10 October 1982N/A
1981 N/A8 November 1981[4] (snap)Including for the Council of the German cultural community
1984 N/AN/A17 June 1984 (European)
1985 N/A13 October 1985[2]
1986 N/AN/A26 October 1986 (German-speaking Community)
1987 N/A13 December 1987[4] (snap)
1988 9 October 1988N/A
1989 N/AN/A18 June 1989 (European); 18 June 1989 (Brussels)
1990 N/AN/A28 October 1990 (German-speaking Community)
1991 N/A24 November 1991[4]

Federal state (1994–present)

The 1993–1994 fourth state reform had far-reaching consequences for the institutional structure of the country.

Local elections (six-year terms) include provincial and municipal elections, as well as district elections in Antwerp.

Regional elections (five-year terms, concurrently with European elections) are elections to the different parliaments of communities and regions: the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon Parliament, the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Parliament of the German-speaking Community and indirectly the Parliament of the French Community and the three assemblies of the community commissions in Brussels.

Year Local elections Regional elections Federal elections European elections
1994 N/AN/AN/A12 June 1994
9 October 1994N/A
1995 N/A21 May 199521 May 1995[4]N/A
1999 N/A13 June 199913 June 1999[4]13 June 1999
Districts in the city of Antwerp are established; their councils are now elected as well during local elections
2000 8 October 2000N/A
Federal constituencies changed from arrondissements to provinces; electoral threshold of 5% introduced
2003 N/AN/A18 May 2003[4]N/A
2004 N/A13 June 2004N/A13 June 2004
Fifth state reform:
  • Local elections are now organised by the three regional governments (other elections remain a matter for the federal government)
2006 8 October 2006N/A
2007 N/AN/A10 June 2007[4]N/A
2009 N/A7 June 2009N/A7 June 2009
2010 N/AN/A13 June 2010[4] (snap)N/A
2012 14 October 2012N/A
Sixth state reform:
  • Direct elections to the Senate are abolished; federal elections are now only for the Chamber
  • Federal legislative term is increased from 4 to 5 years
2014 N/A25 May 201425 May 2014[4]25 May 2014
2018 14 October 2018N/A
2019 N/A26 May 201926 May 2019 or earlier26 May 2019

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 The Chamber of Representatives was dissolved by royal order.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Both Chambers were dissolved by royal order.
  3. 1 2 The Senate was dissolved by royal order.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Both Chambers were dissolved automatically by Declaration of Revision of the Constitution.

See also

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