MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 9 August 2007
Electoral Enrolment Centre (EEC)

More People Removed from Electoral Roll in a Month Than Married and Divorced in Last Two Years

Over 65,000 New Zealanders’ names have been erased from the country’s electoral rolls in the past month – making these people ineligible to vote in this year’s local elections unless they re-enrol now.

“The Electoral Enrolment Centre has removed more people from the electoral roll in the last month than the total number of people who married and divorced in the past two years*,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager of the Electoral Enrolment Centre.

“That’s a lot of people who won’t be able to vote at election time in October unless they re-enrol.

“Most of these people will have moved house or flat and not updated their details with us,” says Mr Wicks. “We know Kiwis love buying and selling property, but each time they shift they need to keep their details up-to-date to stay on the electoral roll.”

The Electoral Enrolment Centre mailed out enrolment update packs a month ago to all those enrolled to vote.

“By law, we have to take people off the electoral rolls if their enrolment update packs get returned as undeliverable because the person has shifted,” says Mr Wicks.

In the Auckland City Council area over 8,600 people have had their names wiped from the electoral roll. Over 2,800 people in the Hamilton City Council area have had their names removed, in Tauranga another 1,900, in Dunedin the number rises to nearly 3,000 and in Christchurch to over 6,000.

“These people won’t get their voting packs for the local council and district health board elections in the mail unless they re-enrol by 24 August,” says Mr Wicks.

“We are urging people to enrol now. They will get their local elections voting papers sent to them and will be set up well for next year’s general election.”

People can enrol or update their details online at www.elections.org.nz. Enrolment forms are also available from 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56), or by freetexting your name and address to 36 76 or at any PostShop.

*source Statistics New Zealand 2006 Marriage, Civil Unions and Divorces

ENDS

2007 Local Elections Enrolment Update Campaign – Electors Removed From Electoral Roll

Council / Electors Removed from the Roll / Council / Electors Removed from the Roll
Far North District / 803 / Rangitikei District / 215
Whangarei District / 310 / Manawatu District / 434
Kaipara District / 296 / Palmerston North City / 1,397
Rodney District / 970 / Tararua District / 224
North Shore City / 2,802 / Horowhenua District / 460
Waitakere City / 2,574 / Kapiti Coast District / 522
Auckland City / 8,666 / Porirua City / 586
Manukau City / 4,893 / Upper Hutt City / 492
Papakura District / 608 / Lower Hutt City / 1,393
Franklin District / 780 / Wellington City / 3,983
Thames-Coromandel District / 376 / Masterton District / 367
Hauraki District / 305 / Carterton District / 78
Waikato District / 649 / South Wairarapa District / 133
Matamata-Piako District / 440 / Tasman District / 720
Hamilton City / 2,811 / Nelson City / 980
Waipa District / 546 / Marlborough District / 615
Otorohanga District / 92 / Kaikoura District / 31
South Waikato District / 357 / Buller District / 162
Waitomo District / 178 / Grey District / 160
Taupo District / 604 / Westland District / 139
Western Bay Of Plenty District / 514 / Hurunui District / 137
Tauranga City / 1,926 / Waimakariri District / 462
Rotorua District / 1,302 / Christchurch City / 6,173
Whakatane District / 583 / Selwyn District / 447
Kawerau District / 139 / Ashburton District / 364
Opotiki District / 178 / Timaru District / 546
Gisborne District / 608 / MacKenzie District / 41
Wairoa District / 154 / Waimate District / 110
Hastings District / 1,007 / Chatham Islands Territory / 2
Napier City / 860 / Waitaki District / 255
Central Hawke's Bay District / 166 / Central Otago District / 190
New Plymouth District / 946 / Queenstown-Lakes District / 445
Stratford District / 106 / Dunedin City / 2,821
South Taranaki District / 438 / Clutha District / 243
Ruapehu District / 270 / Southland District / 400
Wanganui District / 418 / Gore District / 128
/ Invercargill City / 599
/ Total / 65,129

ENDS

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