"We expect a low turnout, so fewer polling stations"

Therefore, only five polling stations are arranged, while there are other seventeen or eighteen. "With all due respect to the subject, I still expect a low turnout," said Mayor Theo Schouten in the NOS Radio 1 News.

Compared to the provincial election last year are being arranged throughout the country 10 percent of polling stations. Oldenzaal, the number of polling stations fell the hardest.

compact municipality

Mayor Schouten (PvdA) thinks that few people of his church see the importance of the referendum. "This referendum is not a general representative body such as parliament, which represents the last population four years. This is a consultative referendum, which, moreover, only about one subject."

"In addition, Minister Plasterk has called for a cost-effective implementation of the referendum. Oldenzaal is a compact city and therefore we think we will need fewer agencies."

I hope many people will vote, but I expected a low turnout.
Schouten mayor of Oldenzaal

The referendum, held on April 6, is valid if 30 percent or more of the voting rights case. Schouten doubts whether that threshold is met in Oldenzaal. "At the European elections in 2014 the turnout was 33 percent here. That's low. I think the rise in April will be even less."

Despite low expectations Schouten calls the church to get votes. "Personally, I'm going to vote and I hope that as many people do. But if you go to vote, depends on the campaigns conducted and the importance that people attach to this subject."

Source: http://nos.nl/Photo: Reuters