The cabinet is working on plans to ensure the general election in March can take place safely and this might include postal voting, sources have told the AD.

Home affairs minister Kasja Ollongren said earlier that postal voting is one of the options which could be brought in and is now planning to publish her proposals next month.

‘I want to look at every constructive solution to make sure taking part in the election is as easy as possible for everyone,’ she said.

Earlier, D66 and the PvdA said they backed opening some polling stations up to two weeks early to better spread the number of voters in busy places. This would mean people would not have to wait in long queues to vote.

The Netherlands goes to the polls to elect a new government on March 17 and some 12.9 million people will be eligible to vote. At the last election in 2017, 10.5 million people did so.