Deadlines

The period for collecting signatures begins with the publication of the official announcement after the provincial parliament has decided that the initiative is admissible. It lasts six weeks, not including the day of publication.

Required number of signatures

• A legislative initiative requires at least 1,000 signatures from citizens of the province who are entitled to vote.
• A constitutional initiative requires at least 1,500 signatures from citizens of the country who are entitled to vote.

Signature form

The signature form must contain

• Municipality: The municipality in which the voters submitting the petition reside;
• Text of the initiative: The full text of the initiative;
• Start date: The start date of the collection of signatures (date of the official announcement);
• Authentication: Sufficient space must be provided on the signature sheet for the signatures to be certified by the municipal administration.

Each person entitled to vote must provide the following information:

• Date of signature;
• First name and surname;
• exact address;
• handwritten signature.

Authentication by the municipality

The eligibility to vote of the signatories must be certified by the municipal council of the municipality in which they exercise their political rights. Verification by the municipality is confirmed with a signature and municipal stamp. The municipality also confirms the total number of valid signatures on each form.

The municipality must certify the signatures within the specified period. No fees are charged for this.

As it takes a certain amount of time to check and certify the signature forms and only the municipal council or its deputy may certify the signatures, we recommend contacting the municipalities as early as possible, especially during school vacation periods.

Examination of applications and publication

The government examines the submissions received from the petitioners for their legality and determines the number of signatures. The result is published and forwarded to Parliament in the form of a report and motion.

Next step: Treatment in parliament