Voting info

How to vote

What

This year, there is a general election in New Zealand. This means you have the chance to vote on who you want to represent and make decisions for New Zealanders.

You get two votes:

• A party vote for the political party you want to be in Government.

• An electorate vote for the candidate you would like to be the member of Parliament for the area you live in.

Who

You can vote in the New Zealand General Election if:

• You’re 18 years or older

• You’re a New Zealand citizen

• You’re a New Zealand resident for electoral purposes, and you’ve lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in your life

• You’re enrolled.

People of all abilities have the right to vote. There is no capacity test for voting.

When

Voting is now open. You have until election day (Saturday 7 November) to cast your vote. Voting places are likely to be busy on election day, so we suggest finding a time before then that works for you. The quietest times to vote are typically between 9am – 11am and 2pm – 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Where

You can vote at any of the voting places in New Zealand. Their opening days and hours may vary, so make sure to check ahead of time. It’s quickest to vote in the area where you live, but if you’re somewhere else, you can vote at the nearest voting place.

Find your nearest voting place here, either by using the map or by choosing from a list.

If you are unable to get to a voting place: You can still vote. This may involve asking someone to pick up your voting papers for you. Find out about your options here.

Accessible voting places

There is an option to filter by accessible voting places on the interactive map. There is also a full list here.

Voting places for the Deaf community

If you are Deaf and use New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) to communicate, these voting places will have onsite NZSL interpreters at set dates and times. Details here.

• Terenga Paraoa Marae, Whangārei

• Auckland Deaf Society, Maungakiekie

• Papakura Marae, Papakura

• Cornerstone Christian Education School Hall, Palmerston North

• Te Manawa Museum, Palmerston North

• Johnsonville Shopping Centre, Wellington

• Deaf Society of Canterbury, Christchurch

Voting places for the neurodivergent community

There will be three quiet voting places to support the neurodivergent community vote in a low sensory environment that supports their needs. These voting places will be available on Sunday 1 November, 10am – 2pm. Details here.

• AutismNZ Building, Henderson

• AutismNZ Resource Centre, Petone

• AutismNZ, Christchurch

Telephone voting

If you are blind, partially blind or have another physical disability that prevents you from marking your voting paper without assistance, you can vote by telephone dictation.

Step one: register

You must register to use the telephone dictation service in this election, even if you've used the service to vote in the past, by 12pm Saturday 7 November. Call 0800 028 028 from within New Zealand or +64 4 471 2000 from overseas (international calling rates may apply). Select option 1 to register. You will be asked to choose a secret question and answer which only you know – don’t tell anyone your secret question or the answer to it until you call back to vote. Once you have registered, you will be given a personal registration number.

Step two: vote

Call 0800 028 028 from within New Zealand or +64 4 471 2000 from overseas (international calling rates may apply). Select option 2 to vote.

You will be asked by an electoral official to provide your registration number. Do not give them your name – they won't know your identity and your vote is secret. They will ask you to answer the secret question you selected when registering.

The electoral official will read out the names of each candidate whom you can vote for with your electorate vote, and each party which you can vote for with your party vote. They will mark your voting paper according to your instructions.

A second electoral official will confirm with you that the voting paper has been marked according to your instructions.

Bringing a support worker

You can bring your support worker to a voting place. They can:

• Go behind the voting screen with you

• Read out the words and information on your voting paper

• Mark the voting papers for you if you ask them to

They can’t tell you who you should vote for.

What to expect if you’re voting in person

Make sure you’re enrolled, or you won’t be able to vote. If you enrolled by Writ Day (Sunday 4 October), you’ll have an EasyVote card posted or emailed to you (check your spam inbox). It will come with a list of the electorate candidates you can vote for.

Bringing your EasyVote card will make voting much easier and faster – but it is not required, so don’t panic if you forget. You do not need to bring ID.

Step one: arrive at voting place

At the voting place, give the Voter Assistant your EasyVote card, if you have one. If you received it by email, you can either print it out or show them on your device. If you don’t have an EasyVote card, you’ll give them your name and address. They’ll find your name on the electoral roll and give you a voting paper. Once they’ve found you on the roll, they will write some details onto a purple card and hand it to you for you to give to the Issuing Officer.

You’ll then show your card to the Issuing Officer. They will find your name in the printed electoral roll and rule a line next to your name. You will then be issued a voting paper and be shown where to go to vote.

Take your voting paper to a tall cardboard booth that you stand behind to cast your vote. You can take as much time as you need to vote.

Step two: mark your voting paper

There will be orange marker pens inside the booth that you can use to fill in your voting paper.

There are two sides on the voting paper. The left side is for your party vote. Tick the circle next to the name of the party you choose. You can only vote for one party.

The right side of the voting paper is for your electorate vote. Tick the circle next to the name of the candidate you choose. You can only vote for one candidate.

If you make a mistake when you’re voting, don’t worry – you can take your ‘spoilt’ voting paper back and ask for another one. Spoilt papers aren’t counted.

Step three: ballot box

Fold your marked paper in half and put it into the ballot box. This is a cardboard box with slots in the top and the name of your electorate. Find the box with your electorate’s name on it and put your voting paper in the slot. Your vote will be counted after voting closes.

And that’s it! Thank you for having your say.

Special votes

If your name isn’t on the printed roll, you’ll need to cast a Special Vote. This could be because you enrolled after Writ Day (Sunday 4 October), you’re voting away from your home electorate, or you’re on the unpublished roll.

If you’re at a voting place, you'll be given a 'special declaration vote' form to fill out before you can vote. The form asks for your name and the reason why you are doing a special vote, such as “My name is not on the printed roll for this electorate or has been wrongly deleted.” You also must sign and date the declaration form.