# 2023 Dutch water board elections

Water board elections were held in the European Netherlands on 15 March 2023 to elect 518 of the 602 resident members of the country's water boards.
As in the provincial elections held on the same day, the Farmer–Citizen Movement became the largest party by vote share nationally and in 14 of the 21 water boards. Water Natuurlijk, which was endorsed by GroenLinks, Democrats 66 and Volt Netherlands fell to second place nationally but remained the largest party by vote share in four water boards. The Labour Party and local Water Board Party Hollandse Delta were also each largest by vote share in one water board.
These elections also saw a large increase in the number of elected officials to the water boards, due to a new bill which was passed by the Senate which heavily reduced the number of seats which went to stakeholders. The total number of seats in each water board was not affected by this, instead the seats that were formerly held by stakeholders are now elected during the water board elections.

## Results
### National

| Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
| | Farmer–Citizen Movement | Farmer–Citizen Movement | Farmer–Citizen Movement | 1,516,891 | 19.89 | New | 118 | New |
| | WN | | Water Natuurlijk | 1,171,724 | 15.36 | –1.90 | 91 | +6 |
| | WN | | Water, Wonen en Natuur | 44,626 | 0.59 | –0.15 | 6 | 0 |
| | WN | Total | Total | 1,216,350 | 15.95 | –2.05 | 97 | +6 |
| | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | 783,219 | 10.27 | –3.60 | 55 | –15 |
| | Labour Party | Labour Party | Labour Party | 716,326 | 9.39 | –1.90 | 50 | +1 |
| | Party for the Animals | Party for the Animals | Party for the Animals | 569,563 | 7.47 | +2.70 | 37 | +20 |
| | Christian Democratic Appeal | Christian Democratic Appeal | Christian Democratic Appeal | 553,573 | 7.26 | –5.45 | 36 | −24 |
| | General Water Board Party | General Water Board Party | General Water Board Party | 400,402 | 5.25 | –1.04 | 21 | –2 |
| | Christian Union | Christian Union | Christian Union | 234,418 | 3.07 | –1.38 | 14 | −1 |
| | 50PLUS | 50PLUS | 50PLUS | 230,999 | 3.03 | –4.51 | 10 | –22 |
| | Belang van Nederland | Belang van Nederland | Belang van Nederland | 194,014 | 2.54 | New | 5 | New |
| | Reformed Political Party | Reformed Political Party | Reformed Political Party | 177,537 | 2.33 | –0.10 | 13 | +4 |
| | JA21 | JA21 | JA21 | 100,500 | 1.32 | New | 5 | New |
| | Christian Union – Reformed Political Party | Christian Union – Reformed Political Party | Christian Union – Reformed Political Party | 88,498 | 1.16 | –0.38 | 6 | –2 |
| | Ondernemend Water | Ondernemend Water | Ondernemend Water | 39,023 | 0.51 | New | 1 | New |
| | Groningers' Interests [nl] | Groningers' Interests [nl] | Groningers' Interests [nl] | 31,235 | 0.41 | New | 3 | New |
| | The Greens | The Greens | The Greens | 29,431 | 0.39 | –0.18 | 1 | –1 |
| | Elderly Appeal - Heart for Water | Elderly Appeal - Heart for Water | Elderly Appeal - Heart for Water | 12,740 | 0.17 | –0.14 | 0 | –1 |
| | GOLD | GOLD | GOLD | 10,010 | 0.13 | New | 0 | New |
| | Others | Others | Others | 721,402 | 9.46 | –6.13 | 46 | −11 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 7,626,131 | 100.00 | – | 518 | +76 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 7,626,131 | 98.57 | | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 25,752 | 0.33 | | | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | 85,059 | 1.10 | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,736,942 | 100.00 | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 13,759,207 | 56.23 | +4.98 | | |
| Source: Kiesraad |||||||||

### By Water Board

| Water Board | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party | Number of seats by party |
| Water Board | BBB | WN | VVD | PvdA | PvdD | CDA | AWP | CU | SGP | 50+ | BVNL | JA21 | GB | Other | Total |
| Noorderzijlvest | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| Fryslân | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 21 |
| Hunze en Aa's | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| Drents Overijsselse Delta | 9 | 5 | 2 | - | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 25 |
| Vechtstromen | 9 | 7 | 2 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 23 |
| Zuiderzeeland | 6 | 6 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 21 |
| Vallei en Veluwe | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 26 |
| Rijn en IJssel | 9 | 5 | 2 | 4 | - | 3 | 0 | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 26 |
| De Stichtse Rijnlanden | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 26 |
| Amstel, Gooi en Vecht | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 26 |
| Hollands Noorderkwartier | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | 26 |
| Rijnland | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 26 |
| Delfland | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 26 |
| Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 26 |
| Rivierenland | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 26 |
| Hollandse Delta | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 26 |
| Scheldestromen | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 4 | 26 |
| Brabantse Delta | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 26 |
| De Dommel | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 26 |
| Aa en Maas | 7 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 0 | 26 |
| Limburg | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 26 |
| Total | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total | 118 | 97 | 55 | 50 | 37 | 36 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 48 | 518 |
| 518 ||
| Compared to 2019 | +118 | +6 | -15 | +1 | +20 | -24 | -2 | -1 | +4 | -22 | +5 | +5 | +3 | -20 | +76 |
| +76 ||