Some 309,000 people in Friesland, Groningen and Gelderland provinces go to the polls today to vote for new councils following the redrawing of dozens of local authority area boundaries.

The merger and redivision of dozens of local authority areas such as Litternseradeil, Jellum, Boazum and Wiuwert will reduce the number of councils in the Netherlands from 388 now to 380 by the beginning of next year.

Wednesday’s vote means that people living in new local authority areas will not get a second vote next March, when most of the Netherlands will go to the polls to elect new town and city councils.

Wednesday’s most interesting result is likely to be in the new council area of Midden Groningen, which includes part of the province most affected by earthquakes.