Afstemmingsrondes

Afstemmingsrondes are sequential rounds of voting used in formal decision-making processes when an initial vote does not yield a clear result. They are employed in legislative bodies, municipal or provincial assemblies, corporate boards, and other organizations to reach a majority or a resolved outcome on proposals, candidates, or budgets.

In a typical afstemmingsronde, voting is repeated after each round among the remaining options. If no option achieves the required threshold in the first round, the option with the fewest votes is usually eliminated, and another round is held with the remaining possibilities. Depending on the rules, this process can continue for several rounds until a candidate or proposal secures the necessary majority. Some procedures also allow for modifications to proposals or the introduction of new alternatives between rounds.

Rules and variations vary by organization. Thresholds can be an absolute majority, a two-thirds majority, or another predefined criterion. Some bodies perform only two or three rounds, while others allow longer sequences or employ preferential or ranked voting methods, which can influence how rounds unfold. Voting can be conducted openly, secretly, or electronically, with the chair or a designated official announcing results after each round.

Afstemmingsrondes are used to resolve deadlocks and to ensure legitimacy of the chosen option when broad support is required. They may prolong decision-making and sometimes necessitate tie-breaker provisions or postponement mechanisms. The term is most commonly encountered in Dutch-language contexts and is applicable wherever structured, multi-round voting is part of the decision process.