2023 Dutch water board elections

Water board elections were held in the European Netherlands on 15 March 2023 to elect 518 of the 602[1] resident members of the country's water boards.[2]

2023 Dutch water board elections

15 March 2023

518 of the 602[1] seats in the water boards

Party % Seats +/– Farmer–Citizen Movement 19.89% 118 New Water Natuurlijk 15.95% 97 +6 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 10.27% 55 -15 Labour Party 9.39% 50 +1 Party for the Animals 7.47% 37 +20 Christian Democratic Appeal 7.26% 36 -24 General Water Board Party 5.25% 21 -2 Christian Union 3.07% 14 -1 50PLUS 3.03% 10 -22 Belang van Nederland 2.54% 5 New Reformed Political Party 2.33% 13 +4 JA21 1.32% 5 New Christian Union–SGP 1.16% 6 -2 Ondernemend Water 0.51% 1 New Groningers' Interests 0.41% 3 New The Greens 0.39% 1 -1 Others 9.46% 46 -11 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Voting form for the board of the Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier.

As in the provincial elections held on the same day, the Farmer–Citizen Movement became the largest party by vote share nationally and in 14 of the 21 water boards. Water Natuurlijk, which was endorsed by GroenLinks, Democrats 66 and Volt Netherlands fell to second place nationally but remained the largest party by vote share in four water boards. The Labour Party and local Water Board Party Hollandse Delta were also each largest by vote share in one water board.

These elections also saw a large increase in the number of elected officials to the water boards, due to a new bill which was passed by the Senate which heavily reduced the number of seats which went to stakeholders.[3] The total number of seats in each water board was not affected by this, instead the seats that were formerly held by stakeholders are now elected during the water board elections.[3]