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Watch Episode #07

Municipal Elections 2026 Special

Municipal elections: you can vote!
Or can you?


Original air date: Saturday, February 28, 2026

On Wednesday, March 18, The Hague will hold its municipal elections. Many international residents are eligible to vote in these local elections, yet many are either unaware of their eligibility or unclear about the voting process, how to communicate their specific concerns to the Municipal Council (also called ‘City Council’), and whom to vote for.

Therefore, Expaterience, the unique English-language talk show produced by and for the international community in The Hague, made a Municipal Elections Special to change that.

Hour 1:
Navigating Your Vote – A Deep Dive for The Hague’s Internationals

This two-hour special begins with an informative segment explaining voting rights and the mechanics of municipal elections. It features ongoing research from Leiden University on improving international civic engagement, alongside a balanced “outside-in” perspective from an international correspondent who has called The Hague home for nearly 15 years.

  • Koen Kleiberg – Communications Officer, Elections Unit, Municipality of The Hague. Kleiberg explains the legal requirements for international voters, covering eligibility for both EU and non-EU residents
  • Max Witteveen – MA, Honours Academy, Leiden University, presenting ongoing interdisciplinary research on methods to increase the political involvement of foreign citizens in the Netherlands
  • Gordon Darroch – International Correspondent offering an “outside-in” perspective on the local political climate based on nearly 15 years of residency in The Hague

Hour 2:
The Big Debate – Four Parties Competing for 80,000 International Votes and 8 Seats

Your Voice, Your Vote: the only English-language election TV debate for the international community in The Hague

PRESS RELEASE: Internationals The Hague Demand Answers on Safety and Housing (.PDF)

The second hour of the Expaterience Municipal Elections Special features a unique debate, the only local TV debate in The Hague in English. Organized exclusively by Expaterience, this session brings together candidates from the four major political parties currently represented in The Hague’s Municipal Council:

The candidates address key themes and local issues across The Hague’s international neighborhoods, directly responding to questions from the live studio audience and to findings from an online survey conducted by Expaterience in the weeks leading up to the debate.

The exclusive Expaterience Municipal Elections Special and the featured TV debate are hosted and moderated by Sanjay Sharma.

Resident Stand-up Humorist and Columnist Anupama Shrivastava kicks off this special episode with her fresh international take on Dutch local politics. Field Producers, Video Report: Douwe Volk and Robin Uineken.


Editors/Researchers: Dennis Kokkelink, Douwe Volk, Eylül Akdeniz, Robin Uineken, Sanjay Sharma — Social Media Team: Dennis Kokkelink, Douwe Volk, Elisabeth Mbeng, Michelle Sukowski, Parnita Pandey, and others — Live Streaming Facebook & YouTube: Marcel van Geenen — Camera Team: Ayman Sandok, Jolanda Hillebrand, Kai Wang, Margaret Ogunmefun — Sound Engineering: Flavio, Valcarce, Marcel van Geenen — Opening Title Sequence Designer: Marcel van Geenen — Music Composer: Marcel van Geenen — Guest Reception: Elisabeth Mbeng, Marian Loth — Additional Support: Fritz van der Koelen, Kees Kouwenberg, Roderick Wijsmuller — Director: Erik Kaartman — Executive Producer & Production Manager: Dennis Kokkelink

Click here for the full crew of Expaterience

About Expaterience
Expaterience is The Hague’s unique TV talk show and online media project, produced and hosted by expats and internationals for the diverse international audiences in our city and the Haaglanden region, exploring the successes and challenges of expat life, both personal and professional, within the broader context of key social issues and current global developments, while uniting residents, curious minds, thought leaders, and multicultural professionals to discuss the most pressing issues of our time.

Expaterience is produced entirely by international volunteers.

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