MEDIA RELEASE

Sunday 16 August 2009

Chief Electoral Office
Ministry of Justice

Five Days Left To Vote In Citizens Initiated Referendum

Time is running out to take part in the Citizens Initiated Referendum on the question “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?” – with just five days left for people to vote.

“Voting closes on Friday 21 August, but we recommend that people get their voting papers in the mail by Thursday 20 August to be sure they get to us in time,” says Robert Peden, Chief Electoral Officer.

“If you’ve already made up your mind, I would encourage you to post your voting paper back today so you don’t forget or miss the voting deadline,” says Mr Peden.

As at 5.00pm Thursday 13 August, 1,330,900 votes in the referendum had been received by the Chief Electoral Office’s vote processing centre.

“The voting deadline is getting close. Voters should tick yes or no on the referendum voting paper in response to the referendum question, and return the voting paper in the envelope provided today,” says Mr Peden.

To count, voting papers from New Zealand must be postmarked no later than Friday 21 August.

Voting papers from overseas must be postmarked no later than Thursday 20 August (this allows for international time differences to ensure compliance with the close of the voting period).

All voting papers must be with the Returning Officer in New Zealand no later than noon on Tuesday 25 August.

The Chief Electoral Officer aims to release the preliminary result of the referendum by 8.30pm on Friday 21 August. The target to release the final result is 5.00pm Tuesday 25 August.

ENDS

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