{"id":124301,"date":"2021-03-15T15:14:53","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T14:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=124301"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:29","slug":"bouncer-surgeon-or-sociologist-this-is-how-election-officials-are-preparing-for-the-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/03\/15\/bouncer-surgeon-or-sociologist-this-is-how-election-officials-are-preparing-for-the-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Bouncer, surgeon or sociologist? This is how election officials are preparing for the elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Dutch people will be allowed to cast their votes for their chosen members of parliament. Due to the pandemic, more people than ever will be needed to man the polling stations, which is why municipal governments made a point of asking young people to serve as election officials, as well. Many young people \u2013 including EUR students \u2013 responded to the call. EM<\/em> will be following two of them. So how are the preparations coming along?<\/p>\n

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Roy Kemmers, who is doing a PhD in sociology of culture at the Erasmus University College, and history student Demi Bosters are both volunteers. Why did they sign up to staff a polling station? \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be able to help out. And since they particularly called on young people to sign up, I felt called upon,\u201d says Bosters. For his part, Kemmers added: \u201cIt\u2019s important that this go well. If I can do anything to make sure that happens, I\u2019ll be happy to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kemmers and Bosters are both fascinated with politics. Bosters is a member of the Young Democrats (D66\u2019s youth wing), while Kemmers is conducting doctoral research on why people vote for populist parties. \u201cThe first time I was on a polling station committee, in 2014, I expected to be able to make some observations \u2013 to see angry people, or people with a lot of opinions. But actually it\u2019s kind of boring. People really don\u2019t want to tell anyone who they voted for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instant noodles and hand sanitiser<\/h2>
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Student Demi Bosters.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u201cI think I partly got interested in politics because of my family,\u201d says Bosters. \u201cWe tend to have massive political discussions at the dinner table. I really enjoyed discussing politics in our civics classes at secondary school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staffing a polling station is a welcome activity outside the house at a time when most people are glued to their computers. \u201cI\u2019m seriously looking forward to it,\u201d Bosters says, smiling. \u201cIt will be a nice change from sitting in front of my laptop, staring at Zoom.\u201d It\u2019s the first time she will serve as an election official (and also the first time she gets to vote for the Lower House). She will do so in the city where she was raised: Roosendaal.<\/p>\n

This year, the municipal government is not just giving its polling station staff instant soup, instant noodles and other types of food to help them get through the day. \u201cHand sanitiser, face masks for voters, surgical face masks for polling station staff, shields, designated walking routes,\u201d says Kemmers. \u201cEvery voter will be given a pencil of their own. Voting booths must be cleaned once every half hour.\u201d Voting is a little like a surgical procedure this year.<\/p>\n

Face mask<\/h2>
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PhD student Roy Kemmers.<\/span><\/p>

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This being the case, running a polling station is taking a little more preparation this time, and more rules must be observed than usual. For instance, no more than five voters will be allowed to be inside a polling station at any given time. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more complicated than last time,\u201d says Kemmers, who will chair a polling station committee in the Westland region on the first two days of the elections. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to wait and see how things go. I\u2019ll be there on the two quiet days, so that\u2019s a good thing. Generally we try to create a nice vibe inside. I\u2019ll be interested to see if we manage to do that this time round, what with all those face masks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Due to the pandemic, a special job title has been created. Polling stations will have ushers, who will be posted at the entrance, keep an eye on the number of people inside and check whether everyone is wearing a mask. Says Bosters: \u201cBasically, I\u2019ll be serving as a bouncer of sorts. That\u2019s the role I\u2019ve been assigned. Yes, I\u2019m a little afraid there will be people who will refuse to put on a mask, but I\u2019m hoping it will be a nice day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t