Molenbeek residents to receive new elections summons due to error

Thousands of Molenbeek residents will be getting a corrected election summons letter after the first one directed them to the wrong polling station.

The mistake was the result of a coding error by the private firm hired to issue the letters, according to mayor Catherine Moureaux, and as many as 15,000 residents could be affected.

It was residents who first brought the error to the attention of authorities after noticing that they were assigned polling stations quite far from their residence.

The municipality emphasised that “its services are not responsible”, placing the blame squarely on the private firm, which said it would rectify the error as soon as possible and send new letters.

Local authorities must ensure that all election invitations arrive in letterboxes by 28 September at the latest, at least two weeks before the election on Sunday 13 October.

The invitation should include the voter’s full name and address, the address and number of their assigned polling station, their number on the electoral roll and the opening and closing times of the polling station.

It also contains instructions on how to cast a valid vote, as well as the provisions relating to proxy voting.

If any voters have not received an electoral notice for upcoming municipal and provincial elections by the end of this week, or if they misplace their invitation, they must visit the elections department of their commune to obtain a duplicate during the week preceding 13 October, but not earlier.

A new summons could also be obtained on election day up until the polling stations closed, as a last resort.

Voters must bring their identity cards and the local authority will check to confirm their presence on the electoral roll.

If a voter has lost their identity card, they will need to visit a police station to obtain a certificate that, when presented with the invitation, allows them to vote on election day.

Voters can also present another valid identity document, such as a passport or driving licence.

At least 20 days before the elections, each municipality publishes an official notice of election on its website (and in the municipal information bulletin), including the number of seats to be allocated and the opening and closing times of polling stations.

In certain cases, RTBF reports, travel expenses may be reimbursed for voters who live or work in a municipality other than the one in which they are due to vote.