Media Release

Chief Electoral Office
Ministry of Justice

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Voting Opens In Mt Albert By-Election Tomorrow

The first votes in the Mt Albert by-election can be cast from tomorrow (Wednesday 27 May 2009) with the start of advance and overseas voting.

“Advance voting makes it easy to vote for anyone who can’t get to a polling place on election day Saturday 13 June because they are out of the Mt Albert electorate, sick, working or for any other reason,” says Chief Electoral Officer, Robert Peden.

“Advance voting is a particularly important option in a by-election. Unlike a general election, there will be no polling places open outside the Mt Albert electorate on election day. Anyone who will be outside the electorate should vote in advance,” says Mr Peden.

Advance voting will be available from Wednesday 27 May until Friday 12 June at five advance voting places in the Mt Albert electorate, at Registrars of Electors’ offices across the country or at the Chief Electoral Office in Wellington.

Details of where to vote in advance are available from www.elections.org.nz, Freephone 0800 36 76 56 or in EasyVote packs delivered about a week before election day.

People who are overseas and enrolled in the Mt Albert electorate can also vote from Wednesday.

“The easiest option for people overseas is to download their voting papers from the elections website www.elections.org.nz and fax or post them back so we receive them by 7pm on election day,” says Mr Peden.

People overseas can also apply to have voting papers posted to them or they can vote in person at overseas posts in Australia, China, Cook Islands, England, India and Samoa.

“Anyone going overseas after Wednesday can vote before they go away at an advance voting place,” says Mr Peden.

In the 2008 general election there were 3,301 advance votes and 800 overseas votes in the Mt Albert electorate.

ENDS

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