Just one more sleep until the night mayor election

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, 2016, the new Night Mayor of Groningen will be elected. At midnight, an expert jury will announce its choice of which of the five candidates will represent the city – particularly during the nightlife. The election takes place at Huize Maas and is free for everyone to attend.

After four years as Night Mayor, Chris Garrit is stepping down and handing over the baton to the next candidate for Night Mayor. Garrit remains involved with the night, with Groningen, and with the principle of the Night Mayor, but is calling it quits regarding this position. However, he will play an important role in the election of his successor. City Blog Sikkom is responsible for organizing the election.

Election
The choice is between Oelinda de Vries (22), Hubert Nauta (55), Merlijn Poolman (28), Annemiek Rosaria (26) and Beniamo Umberto Bescotti (47). On the evening of May 18, they will open the evening around 21:00 by introducing themselves via video and pitches. The audience and the jury will then have the opportunity to ask the candidates questions. Around 23:00, the final public vote will take place and the counted online votes (via nachtburgemeester050.nl) submitted to the expert jury for advisory purposes. The new night mayor will be announced around midnight.

Program
At 8:00 PM, the doors of Huize Maas opening to the public; admission is free, but capacity is limited. During the evening, various artists and prominent Groningen figures will contribute. Music can be expected from The Boosters, DJ Duke Hugh, and Ralf Poelman. City Poet Kasper Peters will dedicate odes to the Groningen night, Chris Garrit will give a speech, Groningen's nocturnal cultural awards will be presented, and Mayor Peter den Oudsten will also play a role. The evening will be hosted by Colin Mooijman and Rosa Timmer.

Current score
You can still vote until midnight this evening (Tuesday, May 17, 2016) via www.nachtburgemeester050.nlTo date, over 2,100 votes have been cast via the website for Merlijn Poolman (998 votes), Hubert Nauta (551 votes), Beniamo Umberto Bescotti (264 votes), Oelinde de Vries (215 votes), and Annemiek Rosaria (87 votes). The votes serve as advisory votes to the expert jury, which makes the final decision.