States-Provincial
The States'-Provincial' (Provinciale Staten, or PS – commonly known as simply the Staten, or States) is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance. Each States-Provincial is directly elected by the electors within the relevant province, and the number of seats in each States-Provincial is proportional to its population.
From 1813 to 1850 the noble members of the ridderschap chose one third of the members of States-Provincial. Johan Rudolf Thorbecke's reforms and his "Provinces Law" ("provinciewet") of 1850 brought this privilege to an end.
Before 11 March 2003, the States-Provincial had only been the administration (i.e. the executive government) of the province, but after that date it has become the collective of representatives within the province, whose principal role is to oversee the administration of most executive tasks. These tasks are now in the hands of the Gedeputeerde Staten, a provincial college elected every four years from the States-Provincial's members. The Gedeputeerde Staten and the States-Provincial are both presided over by that province's Commissaris van de Koningin or royal commissioner, appointed by the Crown every 6 years.
The last provincial elections were held 2 March 2011.
Three months after their election the combined members of the States-Provincial elect the members of the Senate of the States-General of the Netherlands.
Read more about States-Provincial: Number of Seats in Each States-Provincial, Elections By Party By Province, Seat Distribution in The States-Provincial After The 2007 Elections, See Also