2023 Dutch water board elections

{{Expand Dutch|date=April 2023|topic=gov}}{{Short description|Dutch water board election}}

{{Infobox legislative election

| election_name = 2023 Dutch water board elections

| country = Netherlands

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 2019

| next_election = 2027

| seats_for_election = 518 of the 602{{efn|name=stakeholders| Each water board holds two seats for agricultural and nature reserve stakeholders respectively, which are not elected}} seats in the water boards

| turnout = 53.61

| election_date = 15 March 2023

| noleader = yes

| party1 = Farmer–Citizen Movement

| last_election1 = new

| seats1 = 118

| percentage1 = 19.89%

| party2 = Water Natuurlijk

| last_election2 = 91

| seats2 = 97

| percentage2 = 15.95%

| party3 = People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

| color3 = {{party color|People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (2020)}}

| last_election3 = 70

| seats3 = 55

| percentage3 = 10.27%

| party4 = Labour Party

| last_election4 = 49

| seats4 = 50

| percentage4 = 9.39%

| party5 = Party for the Animals

| last_election5 = 17

| seats5 = 37

| percentage5 = 7.47%

| party6 = Christian Democratic Appeal

| color6 = {{party color|Christian Democratic Appeal (2021)}}

| last_election6 = 60

| seats6 = 36

| percentage6 = 7.26%

| party7 = General Water Board Party

| last_election7 = 23

| seats7 = 21

| percentage7 = 5.25%

| party8 = Christian Union

| last_election8 = 15

| seats8 = 14

| percentage8 = 3.07%

| party9 = 50PLUS

| last_election9 = 32

| seats9 = 10

| percentage9 = 3.03%

| party10 = Belang van Nederland

| last_election10 = New

| seats10 = 5

| percentage10 = 2.54%

| party11 = Reformed Political Party

| last_election11 = 9

| seats11 = 13

| percentage11 = 2.33%

| party12 = JA21

| last_election12 = New

| seats12 = 5

| percentage12 = 1.32%

| party13 = Christian Union–SGP

| last_election13 = 8

| seats13 = 6

| percentage13 = 1.16%

| color14 = #003768

| party14 = Ondernemend Water

| last_election14 = New

| seats14 = 1

| percentage14 = 0.51%

| color15 = #69a841

| party15 = {{ill|Groningers' Interests|nl|Groninger Belang}}

| last_election15 = New

| seats15 = 3

| percentage15 = 0.41%

| party16 = The Greens

| last_election16 = 2

| seats16 = 1

| percentage16 = 0.39%

| party17 = Others

| last_election17 = 57

| seats17 = 46

| percentage17 = 9.46%

}}

File:Stemformulier Waterschapsverkiezingen HHN 2023.jpg

Water board elections were held in the European Netherlands on 15 March 2023 to elect 518 of the 602{{efn|name=stakeholders}} resident members of the country's water boards.{{Cite web |last=Kiesraad |date=2017-07-04 |title=Verkiezingskalender - Actueel - Kiesraad.nl |url=https://www.kiesraad.nl/actueel/activiteiten |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=www.kiesraad.nl |language=nl-NL}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Unie van Waterschappen |date=2022-12-16 |title=Wet geborgde zetels per 17 december van kracht |url=https://unievanwaterschappen.nl/wet-geborgde-zetels-per-17-december-van-kracht/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=unievanwaterschappen.nl |language=nl-NL}} 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.