Many Belgians and EU nationals who have registered to vote in the European elections are still waiting for their election card inviting them to attend a polling place on Sunday 9 June. The election card is being delivered by post. Koen Cambré from Turnhout in Antwerp Province already got his, but unfortunately snails got to his letterbox before he did! He could only witness how the slimy critters had liked the taste of his election summons card so much they decided to gobble it up.
"Snails regularly crawl into the letterbox to take shelter from the sun and then start eating the mail," Koen says. "As a rule, I don't mind too much when they do that with adverts, but now they have gobbled up half my election card."
It all happened very quickly. "I had emptied the letterbox on Saturday, because I received a parcel. Sunday and Monday, a public holiday, I did not expect any mail. When I looked on Tuesday, I found the half-eaten card?"
Fortunately the card is still readable
Koen sought advice on what to do from fellow Turnhout residents. "I got very different responses. Some people advised me to get a duplicate just to be sure. Others say that the most important information is still legible and I might not have any trouble."
"If the identity information is still legible as well as the polling station where you have to vote, I don't think there is a problem," says Nathalie Debast of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities. "Polling stations have lists of all those entitled to vote there. So in principle, you can also go and vote with just your identity card. However, your convocation letter cannot then be stamped as proof that you went to vote."
People who lose their card or experience a similar unfortunate incident and want to be on the safe side can always get a duplicate or a copy from the municipal administration. This can be done until the day of the election itself. The municipal administration is also open on election day until polling stations close. Some municipalities also offer a digital version via the ebox. "In any case, you are obliged to go and vote, even if you did not receive a convocation letter," Ms Debast warns.