FxWirePro: Dutch election timeline

Dutch election is likely to be the most watched event of this week, where the anti-Islamic party, Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders is set to gain most of the seats. While polls continue to show that Mr. Wilders’ party will gain most of the seats, history suggests that the final performance of PVV has always been weaker that the polls predict. Should Mr. Wilder come in second place after the ruling VVD Party led by Mark Rutte, the euro could find a major boost in such an outcome. Mr. Wilders’ PVV is largely seen as an anti-euro party. Here are the points to remember, heading to the election,

• When is the Dutch election?

The election is to be held today on 15th March. The voting is set to begin at 7:30 am local time or 6:30 am GMT.

• When will the polling booths close?

The polling stations will close at 9:00 pm local time or 8:00 pm GMT.

• When will the exit polls be out?

As soon as the polling booths close at 9:00 pm local time, the exit polls will be broadcasted. Probably within 15 minutes of closing.

• How many seats are up for election and how many are likely to vote?

All 150 parliamentary seats are up for grabs. Almost 13 million Dutch people are set to vote today.

• When will the result be out?

Results will start arriving within the first 40 minutes after polling booth close. The tiny Dutch nature island of Schiermonnikoog is likely to be the first one announcing results, however big cities are likely to be coming into play between midnight and 3 am on Thursday. The final result will be out by the early morning on Thursday. However, that would be a provisional result.

• When will the results be formally announced?

The Dutch Electoral Council will formally announce the election result on 21st March.

• When will the coalition talks begin?

The informal talks are set to begin the day after the election; however, the formal talks are not set to start until March 23rd. No Party is expected to achieve the majority.