​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishJUSTICE, ELECTIONSProxy voting fraud investigations in nine Flemish municipalities11 February 2025 Belgian authorities are conducting criminal investigations into alleged proxy vote fraud in nine municipalities across Flanders following the 2024 local elections Flemish Interior minister Hilde Crevits told parliament on Tuesday based on seized proxy voting documents and recommendations from public prosecutors the appointed mayor is under investigation which could affect their official confirmation Crevits said she would carefully assess each case but would not delay decisions unnecessarily She emphasised that soliciting proxy votes was a criminal offence and that legal consequences would depend on the outcome of ongoing investigations but it’s too early to assess the full extent of the issue,” the minister said mayoral appointments will proceed as normal The issue of possible misuse of proxy votes - where one person votes on behalf of another - first gained attention after reports of irregularities in Ninove where large numbers of proxy votes were seized There were concerns that fraudulent medical certificates may have been used to justify them A separate case in Veurne involves former mayor Peter Roose #FlandersNewsService | A voting booth at a polling station in Ostend during Belgium’s local elections © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu