Dutch parliamentary elections begin as voters weigh housing, immigration

THE HAGUE - Voting for the Dutch parliament's lower house began on Wednesday, as 1,166 candidates from 27 parties compete for 150 seats after the collapse of the ruling coalition.

Polling stations across the Netherlands opened at 7:30 am (0630 GMT), with approximately 13.4 million registered voters eligible to cast ballots, according to Statistics Netherlands.

Pre-election polls by the research firm Ipsos showed that the Party for Freedom (PVV), the Green Left-Labor Party alliance, the Democrats 66, the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy are the front-runners.

The campaign has been dominated by domestic issues, with housing remaining the primary concern for half of all voters, according to Ipsos. Immigration follows as a key issue for over a third of the electorate, while healthcare ranks third, a priority for 28 percent of voters.

Polls are scheduled to close at 9:00 pm local time (2000 GMT), and initial results are expected from around midnight.

The election was called after the PVV quit the governing coalition in June over a dispute on immigration, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof's cabinet, which has been acting in a caretaker capacity since. The winning party is expected to lead negotiations to form a new governing coalition.