THE HAGUE – Thousands of voting booths opened across the Netherlands early Wednesday on the final day of a general election overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, with caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte seeking a fourth term in office.
Rutte's conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy has been leading polls by a wide margin for about a year, but the lead has been shrinking in recent weeks.
If his party emerges as the largest when polls close at 9 p.m. (2000 GMT), Rutte will be first in line to lead talks to form the next ruling coalition.
If he succeeds, he could become the country's longest-serving prime minister. His popularity rose sharply last year as he steered his country through the pandemic that has killed more than