How today's Dutch election works...
UP to 13 M Dutch citizens are voting for 150 members of the House of Representatives (lower House). This is a national (rather than district) election; seats are apportioned based on national Party vote share (one seat requires approx 0.67% of the national vote) and are filled by prioritized Party candidate lists.
Major Parties competing are:
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD): Center-right
Labour Party (PvdA): Center-left
Party for Freedom (PVV): right wing/Nationalist/Euro-skeptic (party of Geert Wilders)
Socialist Party (SP): left wing
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA): centrist
Democrats 66 (D66): centrist
ChristianUnion (CU): centrist
GreenLeft (GL): left wing
Political Reformed Party (SGP): right-wing
Party for Animals (PvdD): left-wing/animal rights
50PLUS (50+): centrist/Senior rights
Historically, a coalition of Parties will be necessary to for a Government (VVD and PvdA formed a Government after the 2012 election). No Party has expressed a willingness to form a coalition with PVV.
The last poll estimated the following seat holdings:
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD): 27 (18%)
Democrats 66 (D66): 20 (13.3%)
GreenLeft (GL): 20 (13.3%)
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA): 19 (12.7%)
Party for Freedom (PVV): 16 (10.6%)
Socialist Party (SP): 14 (9.3%)
Labour Party (PvdA): 12 (12.5%)
ChristianUnion (CU): 6 (4%)
Party for Animals (PvdD): 5 (3.3%)
50PLUS (50+): 4 (2.7%)
Political Reformed Party (SGP): 3 (2%)
This will likely require a coalition of 4 or more Parties.
Polls are open until 9 PM (4 PM Eastern). General results should be known by 12-1 AM Eastern.
UPDATE: Voter turnout is expected to be far higher than the last election. Pollsters Ipsos put voter turnout at 15 percent at 10:30 am (0930 GMT), up from 13 percent five years ago, with mild weather playing a part.