More than 3.6 million enrolment packs will be sent to voters across the country from next week as the Electoral Commission urges New Zealanders to check their details ahead of the November 7 general election.
The packs will be delivered between August 17 and 22 and will show voters their current enrolment details and electorate.
New enrolment deadline takes effect
The enrolment push is more pressing this election after changes passed by Parliament last year mean voters will no longer be able to enrol or update their details once voting begins. The Electoral Amendment Act 2025 removed the ability for people to enrol during the advance voting period or on election day, meaning voters must be enrolled by October 25 to take part in this year’s election.
It marks a significant change from recent elections, where eligible voters could enrol or update their details while voting and cast a special vote.
The change was made despite Government officials warning an earlier enrolment deadline could reduce electoral participation, particularly among groups more likely to enrol or update their details during the voting period.
The Government’s Regulatory Impact Statement found Māori, Asian, Pacific and younger voters were more likely to cast special votes or enrol during the voting period and warned the change could have a significant impact on democratic participation. It also found an earlier deadline would increase the administrative requirements for Māori to exercise their voting rights under Article 3 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Electoral Commission data from the 2023 general election showed 48 percent of Māori voters aged 18 and 19 enrolled or updated their details during the voting period. Across Māori voters of all ages, 17.3 percent enrolled or updated their details during the voting period, while the figure increased to 18.9 percent among voters on the Māori roll.
Commission urges voters to check boundary changes
Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said voters should check the information contained in the packs when they arrive, particularly because electorate boundaries have changed ahead of this year’s election.
“When you get your pack, open it, and check your details are correct. The boundaries of many electorates have changed, so check your electorate too,” Le Quesne said.
“The packs are being delivered from 17 to 22 August. If you don’t get one in the mail, it means your address is out of date, or you’re not enrolled.”
The Electoral Commission estimates around 440,000 eligible New Zealanders are currently not enrolled, including approximately 200,000 people aged between 18 and 24.
“Talk to your whānau and friends and make sure everyone is enrolled by 25 October so they can vote,” Le Quesne said.
October 25 now a hard deadline
The Commission is encouraging people to enrol or update their details by October 4 so they receive an EasyVote card.
However, October 25 is the absolute deadline to enrol for the 2026 general election.
Voting begins the following day, October 26, and anyone who has not enrolled by the deadline will not be able to enrol during the voting period.
“This year, there is another important message, which is that you need to be enrolled before voting starts. You won’t be able to enrol or update your details when you vote,” Le Quesne said.
People can enrol or update their address online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or verified RealMe identity. Paper enrolment forms are also available by calling 0800 36 76 56 or texting a name and address to 3676.
Māori roll uptick as option period closes
The nationwide enrolment push follows the end of the Māori Electoral Option, with the latest Electoral Commission figures showing the Māori roll continuing to hold a clear lead among enrolled Māori voters.
Figures released alongside the Commission’s August 3 enrolment snapshot showed 305,124 Māori voters enrolled on the Māori roll, compared with 255,900 Māori voters on the general roll. The deadline to change between the Māori and General roll was midnight August 6th.
That means 54.4 percent of enrolled Māori voters are on the Māori roll and 45.6 percent are on the general roll, a difference of 49,224 voters.
The latest Electoral Option period also saw movement swing back towards the Māori roll. A total of 2,342 voters switched from the general roll to the Māori roll, while 1,637 moved in the opposite direction, resulting in a net gain of 705 voters for the Māori roll. New enrolments also favoured the Māori roll, with 1,778 people enrolling directly onto it compared with 758 new enrolments onto the general roll.
Over the past 12 months, 15,919 Māori voters switched to the Māori roll compared with 9,345 moving to the general roll, a net shift of 6,574 voters towards the Māori roll. New enrolments over the same period have also favoured the Māori roll by more than two to one, with 12,422 new enrolments on the Māori roll compared with 5,631 on the general roll.
Rangatahi have been a significant part of that growth, with 33,867 Māori aged between 18 and 24 enrolled on the Māori roll in the Commission’s August 3 snapshot.
The exact number of those who have switched rolls since the deadline will be known in the coming weeks.
Orange Guy and Pup return
The Electoral Commission is also bringing back its long-running election mascots Orange Guy and Pup as part of its campaign to get people enrolled before the October deadline.
This year the pair have been given a new look, moving out of their traditional animated orange and purple world and into real-world settings.
“When people see Orange Guy and Pup, they know an election is coming and that it’s time to enrol and vote,” Le Quesne said.
The Commission said the change to its advertising this year was designed to reinforce the message that voters must be enrolled before voting starts.
The 2026 general election will be held on Saturday, November 7.
