List of elections in Belgium
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This is an overview of all regular elections held in the Kingdom of Belgium since its independence. This excludes local referenda and local special elections. Municipal and provincial elections prior to 1919 are not listed either.
Constituent elections (1830)
Elections to the temporary National Congress:
Unitary state (1831–1994)
Parliamentary elections in 1831–1919
Representatives were elected for a 4-year term; half of the Chamber was up for election each two years. Senators were elected for an 8-year term; half of the Senate was up for election each four years. The first series (which is first up for election following full renewal) consisted of the provinces of East Flanders, Hainaut, Liège and Limburg; the second series of Antwerp, Brabant, Luxembourg, Namur and West Flanders.
- 29 August 1831
- 23 May 1833 (full: Chamber fully renewed following its dissolution)
- 9 June 1835 (partial: Chamber and Senate)
- 13 June 1837 (partial: Chamber)
- 1839 (partial: Chamber and Senate)
- 8 June 1841 (partial: Chamber)
- 1843 (partial: Chamber and Senate)
- 10 June 1845 (partial: Chamber)
- 8 June 1847 (partial: Chamber and Senate)
Equalisation of cens (tax as part of censitary suffrage) to the constitutional minimum by law of 12 March 1848.
- 13 June 1848 (full)
- 11 June 1850 (partial)
- 27 September 1851 (full: Senate)
- 8 June 1852 (partial)
- 13 June 1854 (partial)
- 1855 (partial)
- 10 June 1856 (partial)
- 10 December 1857 (full)
- 14 June 1859 (partial)
- 11 June 1861 (partial)
- 9 June 1863 (partial)
- 11 August 1864 (full)
- 12 June 1866 (partial)
- 1867 (partial)
- 9 June 1868 (partial)
- 11 June 1870 (partial)
- 2 August 1870 (full)
- 11 June 1872 (partial)
- 9 June 1874 (partial)
- 13 June 1876 (partial)
- 11 June 1878 (partial)
- 8 June 1880 (partial)
- 13 June 1882 (partial)
- 10 June 1884 (partial: Chamber) and 8 July 1884 (full: Senate fully renewed following its dissolution)
- 8 June 1886 (partial)
- 12 June 1888 (partial)
- 10 June 1890 (partial)
- 14 June 1892 (full)
Universal plural suffrage for men above 25 years of age; introduction of compulsory voting; elections are now always held on Sundays instead of Tuesdays; provincial senators introduced
- 14 October 1894 (full)
- 5/12 July 1896 (partial)
- 22 May 1898 (partial)
Elections now use a proportional system with substitutes instead of a majority system with run-off and special elections
- 27 May 1900 (full)
- 25 May 1902 (partial)
- 29 May 1904 (partial)
- 27 May 1906 (partial)
- 24 May 1908 (partial)
- 22 May 1910 (partial)
- 12 June 1912 (full)
- 24 May 1914 (partial)
Elections in 1919–1994
| Year | Municipal elections | Provincial elections | Parliamentary elections | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Following World War I, major reforms were passed:
| ||||
| 1919 | — | ? | 16 November 1919 | |
| 1920 | — | — | 16 May 1920 (special Senate election) | |
| 1921 | 24 April 1921 | 27 November 1921 | 20 November 1921 | |
| 1925 | — | 8 November 1925 | 5 April 1925 | |
| 1926 | 10 October 1926 | — | ||
| 1929 | — | 9 June 1929 | 26 May 1929 | |
| 1932 | 9 October 1932 | 4 December 1932 | 27 November 1932 | |
| 1935 | — | — | 14 April 1935 (partial Chamber election in Brussels) | |
| 1936 | — | 7 June 1936 | 24 May 1936 | |
| 1937 | — | — | 11 April 1937 (partial Chamber election in Brussels) | |
| 1938 | 9 October 1938 | — | ||
| 1939 | — | ? | 2 April 1939 (snap) | |
| World War II | ||||
| 1946 | 24 November 1946 | 24 February 1946 | 17 February 1946 | |
Reforms:
| ||||
| 1949 | — | 26 June 1949 | ||
| 1950 | — | 4 June 1950 (snap) | 12 March 1950 (referendum) | |
| 1952 | 12 October 1952 | — | ||
| 1954 | — | 11 April 1954 | ||
| 1958 | 12 October 1958 | 1 June 1958 | ||
| 1961 | — | 26 March 1961 | ||
| 1964 | 11 October 1964 | — | ||
| 1965 | — | 23 May 1965 | ||
| 1968 | — | 31 March 1968 (snap) | ||
| 1970 | 11 October 1970 | — | ||
| 1971 | — | 7 November 1971 | 21 November 1971 (Brussels Agglomeration Council) | |
| 1974 | — | 10 March 1974 | Including for the Council of the German cultural community | |
| Large-scale merging of municipalities; their number was reduced from 2,663 to 589 | ||||
| 1976 | 10 October 1976 | — | ||
| 1977 | — | 17 April 1977 | Including for the Council of the German cultural community | |
| 1978 | — | 17 December 1978 (snap) | Including for the Council of the German cultural community | |
| 1979 | — | — | 10 June 1979 (European) | |
| 1982 | 10 October 1982 | — | ||
| 1981 | — | 8 November 1981 | Including for the Council of the German cultural community | |
| 1984 | — | — | 17 June 1984 (European) | |
| 1985 | — | 13 October 1985 | ||
| 1986 | — | — | 26 October 1986 (German-speaking Community) | |
| 1987 | — | 13 December 1987 (snap) | ||
| 1988 | 9 October 1988 | — | ||
| 1989 | — | — | 18 June 1989 (European); 18 June 1989 (Brussels) | |
| 1990 | — | — | 28 October 1990 (German-speaking Community) | |
| 1991 | — | 24 November 1991 | ||
Federal state (1994–present)
The 1993–1994 fourth state reform had far-reaching consequences for the institutional structure of the country.
Regional elections are elections to the different parliaments of communities and regions: the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon Parliament, the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Parliament of the German-speaking Community and indirectly the Parliament of the French Community and the three assemblies of the community commissions in Brussels.
Local elections include provincial and municipal elections, as well as district elections in Antwerp.
| Year | Local elections | Regional elections | Federal elections | European elections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | — | — | — | 12 June 1994 |
| 9 October 1994 | — | |||
| 1995 | — | 21 May 1995 | 21 May 1995 | — |
| 1999 | — | 13 June 1999 | 13 June 1999 | 13 June 1999 |
| Districts in the city of Antwerp are established; their councils are now elected as well during local elections | ||||
| 2000 | 8 October 2000 | — | ||
| Federal constituencies changed from arrondissements to provinces; electoral threshold of 5% introduced | ||||
| 2003 | — | — | 18 May 2003 | — |
| 2004 | — | 13 June 2004 | — | 13 June 2004 |
Fifth state reform:
| ||||
| 2006 | 8 October 2006 | — | ||
| 2007 | — | — | 10 June 2007 | — |
| 2009 | — | 7 June 2009 | — | 7 June 2009 |
| 2010 | — | — | 13 June 2010 (snap) | — |
| 2012 | 14 October 2012 | — | ||
| Sixth Belgian state reform: | ||||
| 2014 | — | 25 May 2014 | 25 May 2014 | 25 May 2014 |
| 2018 | 14 October 2018 | — | ||
| 2019 | — | May/June 2019 | May/June 2019 or earlier | May/June 2019 |