In this article:
- Why is it so important for people to enrol?
- Who can enrol to vote?
- Can I enrol if I am 17?
- Can overseas voters enrol on election day?
- Can I enrol if I am homeless?
- Will voting services be provided to people in prisons?
- Why do we have to enrol in order to vote?
Why is it so important for people to enrol?
You need to be enrolled for your vote to count in the election and referendums.
Who can enrol to vote?
https://vote.nz/enrolling/get-ready-to-enrol/are-you-eligible-to-enrol-and-vote/
Can I enrol if I am 17?
No – but you can fill out an enrolment form now. On your 18th birthday, we’ll automatically enrol you and you’ll be ready to vote.
Can overseas voters enrol on election day?
No, if you are voting from overseas you will not be able to enrol on election day. You will need to be enrolled by midnight the day before election day.
If you are overseas, make sure you enrol early to allow time for your enrolment to be processed as you will need to be enroled to be able to download your voting papers.
Please note that if you are on the unpublished roll you will not be able to download your voting papers. There are other options available if you are on the unpublished roll.
Can I enrol if I am homeless?
If you are homeless, you can enrol at the address where you spend a substantial part of your time. You can also enrol at the last residential address where you lived for at least one month, even if that was some time ago.
When you enrol to vote, you'll need to provide a postal address where electoral mail, such as enrolment confirmations, can be sent. The postal address could be a PO Box, or the address of a friend, family member, church or support group, but it needs to be someone who will agree to hold your mail for you to collect.
Why do we have to enrol in order to vote?
The electoral roll is a list of all the people who are eligible and registered in a particular area. If you’re eligible, you must enrol. Enrolling and voting means you can have a say on the issues that affect you. It means we can send people information that helps make voting easier on the day and helps ensure one person – one vote.