ROTTERDAM, 19 March 2026 – Rotterdam’s preliminary 2026 municipal election result shows GroenLinks/PvdA and Leefbaar Rotterdam tied on 11 seats each, with GroenLinks/PvdA slightly ahead on vote share. The turnout for the municipal council election came in at 40.7 per cent, while the average turnout for the wijk- en dorpsraden elections was 37 per cent.
A total of 525,071 people were eligible to vote in the municipal council election in Rotterdam, and 213,383 votes were cast. Of those, 870 were blank and 1,005 were invalid. Rotterdam says voters could cast their ballot at more than 350 polling stations across the city.
Two biggest blocs finish neck and neck
The preliminary result puts GroenLinks/PvdA on 11 seats with 22 per cent and 46,439 votes, while Leefbaar Rotterdam also takes 11 seats with 21 per cent and 43,153 votes. Behind them, VVD and D66 each take 5 seats, followed by DENK with 4 and Forum voor Democratie with 2.
A group of smaller parties each pick up 1 seat, including Volt, Partij voor de Dieren, BIJ1, 50PLUS, ChristenUnie, SP and CDA. Several other parties remain without representation in the preliminary count.
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Preliminary result table
| # | Party | Seats 2026 | Percentage 2026 | Votes 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leefbaar Rotterdam | 11 | 21% | 43,153 |
| 2 | GROENLINKS / Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) | 11 | 22% | 46,439 |
| 3 | VVD | 5 | 10% | 20,168 |
| 4 | D66 | 5 | 11% | 22,630 |
| 5 | DENK | 4 | 9% | 18,521 |
| 6 | Volt | 1 | 3% | 6,145 |
| 7 | Partij voor de Dieren | 1 | 3% | 6,217 |
| 8 | BIJ1 | 1 | 2% | 4,186 |
| 9 | 50PLUS | 1 | 3% | 5,518 |
| 10 | ChristenUnie | 1 | 2% | 5,077 |
| 11 | SP (Socialistische Partij) | 1 | 2% | 5,037 |
| 12 | CDA | 1 | 3% | 7,148 |
| 13 | Forum voor Democratie | 2 | 5% | 10,127 |
| 14 | PARTIJvdSPORT | – | 0% | 793 |
| 15 | Vrede voor Dieren | – | 0% | 886 |
| 16 | (PBAR) Beweging Armoedebestrijding | – | 0% | 817 |
| 17 | JOU, Lijst Verkoelen | – | 1% | 2,375 |
| 18 | Rotterdam NEXT | – | 1% | 2,423 |
| 19 | Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP) | – | 1% | 1,639 |
| 20 | Wij Kleurrijk Rotterdam | – | 0% | 537 |
| 21 | Wij van de Wijk | – | 0% | 705 |
Final result follows on 26 March
The final official results for both the municipal council and the 39 neighbourhood- and village councils will be announced on Thursday 26 March 2026 at 10:00 during the sitting of the central electoral committee. The session will take place in the Suze Groenewegzaal at Rotterdam City Hall and can be followed live via gemeenteraad.rotterdam.nl.
For Rotterdam, the headline for now is simple enough: the city has produced a split result at the top, with the final coalition arithmetic still very much open.
