Time is running out to make voting easy in the 2020 General Election and referendums.

About 500,000 eligible New Zealanders still haven’t enrolled to vote and half of them are under the age of 30.

“Make voting easy this year by getting your enrolment sorted out now,” says Mandy Bohté, National Manager of Enrolment and Community Engagement. “Enrol by 16 August and you’ll be sent an information pack at the start of voting including an EasyVote card which makes voting faster.”

The EasyVote pack will include a list of voting place locations and opening hours.

It will also include information on the two referendums that will be held with the election on whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should come into force and whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.

“These are important issues – enrol by 16 August and it will be much easier to have your say,” says Mandy Bohté.

“You can still enrol right up to and on election day, but anyone enrolled after 16 August will have to cast a special vote which takes a bit longer.”

People can enrol or update their details online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity.

They can also enrol or update their details by filling in an enrolment form and can call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent to them.

Voting starts in New Zealand on Saturday 5 September and ends at 7pm on election day, Saturday 19 September.

Applications open for postal voting

Every election, other ways of voting are provided to people who can’t go to a voting place. This year, people who are unable to vote in person can vote by post. They can apply for postal voting from now until 21 August by calling 0800 36 76 56.

Because of COVID-19, arrangements are also being made for people in rest homes and hospitals, and people in managed isolation or quarantine facilities, to vote in the election and referendums.

For more information on the measures in place for COVID-19 go to www.vote.nz/covid-19.

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