The observers of the Organization of American States (OAS) who monitored the conduct of the March 15 island council elections in the Caribbean Netherlands also advised the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to restrict proxy voting. This is evident from their report that Minister Hugo de Jonge sent to the House of Representatives.
The delegation calls proxy voting “a valuable measure” for voters who cannot physically go to a polling station, but points to the high percentage of proxy votes and concerns about possible abuse. The observers recommend allowing a maximum of 1 proxy per person, but also allowing voting by post.
Directors on Bonaire and St. Eustatius have previously requested that proxy voting be limited. The then Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Ollongren promised to investigate this at the time, but this did not lead to concrete measures. Minister De Jonge responded laconically to the OAS delegation’s report.