The process of exercising one's voting right is so cumbersome, that it makes it difficult or even impossible to vote.

Prison Insider: Voting is compulsory in Belgium. Presently, most prisoners cannot vote. How do you explain this?

— Published on 28 June 2019.

Most Belgian prisoners have the right to vote but few choose to exercise it. Vanessa de Greef, PhD in law at the Open University of Brussels, is studying this topic as part of her research. In her capacity as vice-president of the Belgian League for Human Rights, she took part in organising workshops on imprisoned citizens. Prison Insider asked her three questions.

A considerable lack of political will now explains the lack of involvement of prisoners in the electoral process.

Prison Insider: Voting is compulsory in Belgium. Presently, most prisoners cannot vote. How do you explain this?

Vanessa de Greef. Our main problem is that we are yet to receive any official figure from the authorities on the number of voters in prisons.
We have observed that many are not doing so. Since 2009, prisoners, untried or convicted, are not automatic disenfranchised of their voting rights. The judge decides whether or not to revoke voting rights, except for persons whose voting right has been permanently revoked. This happens rarely.

A considerable lack of political will now explains the lack of involvement of prisoners in the electoral process.

With the present political situation, I do not expect any positive change.

PI: What prevents prisoners from exercising their right to vote?

VDG. The process of exercising one's voting right is so cumbersome, that it makes it difficult or even impossible to vote.

Vote by proxy is the only available provision in Belgium. Voting by mail does not exist. There are no polling stations in prisons. Organising vote by proxy is a complex one: it requires, among other things, a certificate of detention, a proxy form and, above all, finding a person of trust residing in the same city.
Some brave people still make it though. However, no records are kept, unlike in France. The Minister of Justice has not shown much interest concerning this issue. He’s passed it off to the Minister of Interior. His reaction was not really a surprise. With the present political situation, I do not expect any positive change.

Most of them believe that setting up polling stations is a huge administrative burden

PI: You are advocating for polling stations in prisons to ensure that prisoners can exercise their voting right. What problems are you facing in that regard?

VDG. When in the field, we try as much as possible to question the people in charge. Most of them believe that setting up polling stations is a huge administrative burden. They would have them by now, if the political will was there. Prison warders would also benefit from this system as they would not need to leave work to vote. Many are on duty on election days. In my opinion, the lack of political is still the main obstacle to any positive change.

Interview by Leïla Lopes
Translated by Vivian Durmis née Okenwa & proofread by Marg Mc Millan