Mechelen residents who cast a vote in Sunday’s local election gain free entry to the erotic fair Eroticabeurs in the Nekkerhal in the city. The free entry is a promotional stunt now that voting is no longer obligatory in Flanders. Organisers of the fair hope their offer will encourage more people to vote in Mechelen (Antwerp Province).
‘For elections to be fair every vote is needed. We are trying to encourage people. And now you can also link voting to something pleasant’ says organiser Nicole Martens.
‘Everyone who arrives at the ticket office with a stamped election card will gain free entry on Sunday. It may no longer be compulsory to go and vote, but I think every vote counts,’ says organiser Nicole Martens.
The Eroticabeurs runs at the Nekkerhal in Mechelen from Friday to Sunday. A ticket normally costs 25 euros in pre-sales, and 30 euros at the box office. ‘It's also nice for the stallholders. Visitors save on their entrance fee, and hopefully they will spend more once they are inside at the fair,’ Martens says.