Kiwi Love Affair With Property Hits Electoral System

The Kiwi love affair with property is about to hit our electoral system as the Electoral Enrolment Centre embarks on a campaign to get people enrolled for this year’s local elections.

“Over 900,000* people moved house in the past year, and if eligible electors don’t update their address details with us they can be removed from the electoral roll,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager of the Electoral Enrolment Centre.

“With so many Kiwis shifting house and another 160,000 not enrolled at all we’ve got a job to do to ensure they are correctly enrolled for the 13 October local elections.”

Over 2.9 million enrolment update packs will be posted out to everyone enrolled from tomorrow (Monday 9 July 2007).

“People need to check that their enrolment details are up-to-date and only respond to us if any details have changed,” says Mr Wicks. “Anyone who doesn’t get an enrolment update pack by Wednesday

11 July isn’t correctly enrolled to vote.”

Mr Wicks reminds people that it is also important to return packs for people no longer living at their address. The packs should have the address crossed out, be marked ‘gone no address’ and be sent back.

“When we get these packs back we have to remove these people from the electoral roll unless they’ve subsequently updated their details or re-enrolled.

“In the 2004 year, when local elections were last held, we got close to 100,000 enrolment letters sent back to us with the person ‘gone no address’.”

People can also check whether their enrolment details are up-to-date or enrol online at www.elections.org.nz.

Eligible people aged 18 or over must be enrolled to vote. To get an enrolment form or to update your enrolment details either call 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56), freetext your name and address to 36 76, visit any PostShop or visit the elections website www.elections.org.nz and enrol or update your details online.

“Everyone correctly enrolled by 24 August will get voting papers for the 2007 local elections in the mail,” says Mr Wicks.

*source: Statistics NZ 2006 Census Data (includes all age groups)

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