Absent election aides in June issued €600 fines

More than 20 people appointed as polling station chairmen or assessors, who did not turn up or arrived too late to Brussels polling stations during regional elections on 9 June have been fined €600 by the Brussels criminal court. Two others were given 56 hours of community service.

The presidents of the polling stations and assessors concerned were initially offered an out-of-court settlement of €250. Some 516 people accepted the proposal and 348 cases were thrown because the people concerned gave a valid reason for their absence or lateness.

The others were invited to appear before the criminal court.

Following the June elections, the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office opened more than 1,000 cases relating to not turning up or arriving late on the big election day at European, federal and regional levels. The events always take place on a Sunday in Belgium and in most of Europe.

At the hearing, other people were also summoned and warned that they also face fines of €600. Judgements will be handed down at a later date.

The details of the out-of-court settlements and the summonses for the municipal elections in October are not yet known, but the public prosecutor’s office has already drawn up a timetable. The first cases for the 13 October local elections will be heard in March.