New Zealand voter enrolment rate falls below previous election levels

Wellington: Nearly 3.8 million people have enrolled to vote in New Zealand’s 2026 general election scheduled for November 7, with the provisional enrolment rate at 93.6 per cent, below the final rates recorded in the previous two elections.

The Electoral Commission said on Friday, October 30, that the enrolment rates were 94.7 per cent in 2023 and 94.1 per cent in 2020. The final rate for this year’s election will not be confirmed until after voting ends.

The provisional enrolment rate for people aged 18 to 24 was 74.2 per cent, up from 53.9 per cent at the end of July and close to the 76.7 per cent recorded in 2023, the commission said in a statement, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Among voters of Maori descent, the provisional enrolment rate was 85.9 per cent, with 603,968 Maori voters enrolled, up from 567,012 in 2023, according to the commission.

Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said the figures showed awareness of the new requirement to enroll before voting began. He said the commission would review its efforts to increase enrolment and report back to parliament after the election.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s center-right National Party is seeking a second term after taking office in 2023, while Labor, led by former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, is campaigning to return to power amid public concerns over the cost of living, economic growth, jobs and public services.

Meanwhile, 309,876 people cast advance votes in the first three days of voting, which started on Monday, up from 235,515 in the same period in 2023, the commission said.

More than 2,300 voting places are expected to operate nationwide on election day. Official election results are scheduled to be declared on November 27.

New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or above, who have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in their life, are eligible to vote in the election, according to the commission.

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