Māori who would like to switch electoral rolls before this year’s General Election will be able to make the change from tomorrow 31 March until 13 July.

A recent law change means that Māori can now change between the Māori and general rolls at any time except in the 3 months before an election.

Previously, once enrolled, Māori could only change rolls during the Māori Electoral Option period held every 5 or 6 years.

‘This is a significant change for Māori voters who will be able to change the roll they are on more easily,’ says Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne.

Māori voters who want to change rolls before the 14 October General Election need to make the change before midnight 13 July.

‘We’re sending information packs to 512,000 enrolled voters who have told us they are of Māori descent to let them know about the choice,’ says Karl Le Quesne.

There’ll also be advertising and community engagement to reach people who are not enrolled or have changed address.

‘Anyone affected by Cyclone Gabrielle who has had to move can call 0800 36 76 56 for more information or go to vote.nz to update their address or change rolls,’ says Karl Le Quesne.

The Commission’s Chief Māori Advisor Hone Matthews says it’s an important choice for Māori.

‘Māori choose between the Māori electoral roll and the general electoral roll when they enrol to vote,’ says Hone Matthews.

‘If you’re on the Māori roll, you’ll vote for a candidate in the Māori electorate you live in, and if you’re on the general roll, you’ll vote for a candidate in the general electorate you live in. Whichever roll you’re on, you’ll choose from the same list of parties for your party vote.

‘Look out for your information pack in the mail and think about which roll you want to be on. He mana tō te kōwhiri. Your choice has mana,’ says Hone Matthews.

Frequently asked questions on the Māori Electoral Option

When can you choose rolls?
If you are Māori, and enrolling to vote for the first time, you choose which electoral roll you want to be on: the general roll or the Māori roll.

You can also change your roll type at any time, except:

• in the 3 months before a general election
• in the 3 months before local elections which are held every 3 years
• before a parliamentary by-election if the change would move you into the electorate where the by-election is being held.

What’s changed?
Previously, once enrolled, Māori could change rolls during a 4-month Māori Electoral Option period held every 5 or 6 years.

In November 2022, Parliament changed the law so Māori voters could change roll types at any time, except in the 3 months before a general election and the local elections, and in some circumstances, before a parliamentary by-election.

When can people change rolls this year?
Māori who are already enrolled can change rolls between 31 March and midnight 13 July 2023, and again after the election.

How do you change rolls?
If you’re happy with the roll you’re on, you don’t need to do anything. If you want to change the roll you’re on, you can make the change online at vote.nz, return the letter in your information pack, or fill in a new enrolment form. You can call 0800 36 76 56 and ask for a form to be sent to you.

How does the Māori Electoral Option affect the number of Māori electorates?
The number of Māori on the general and Māori rolls, together with the results of the census, are used to calculate the number of general and Māori electorates.

The number of Māori enrolled on the Māori roll could mean the number of Māori electorates increases, decreases, or stays the same for future elections. There are currently seven Māori electorates and 65 general electorates.

HE PĀNUITANGA PĀPĀHO

Tāite 30 o Māehe

Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri

Ko ngā huringa o te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori

Ka āhei ngā uri Māori e hiahia ana ki te whakawhiti rārangi pōti i mua i te Pōtitanga Whānui o tēnei tau ki te whakawhiti hei āpōpō, hei te 31 o Māehe, tae atu ki te 13 o Hūrae.

Nā tētehi huringa ture e āhei ana te Māori ki te whakawhiti i te rārangi whānui, i te rārangi Māori rānei ahakoa te wā, engari kaua i te 3 marama i mua i tētehi pōtitanga.

I ngā tau o mua, ka āhei anake te Māori ki te whakawhiti rārangi i te wā o te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori ka tū i ia 5 tau, i ia 6 tau rānei.

‘Ka nui te pānga o tēnei huringa ki ngā kaipōti Māori, i te mea ka ngāwari ake tā rātou whakawhiti rārangi pōti,’ te kī a te Amokapua, a Karl Le Quesne.

Ko ngā kaipōti Māori e hiahia ana ki te whakawhiti rārangi pōti i mua i te Pōtitanga Whānui o te 14 o Oketopa me whakawhiti i mua i te 13 o Hūrae i te waenganui pō.

Hei tā Karl Le Quesne, 'E tuku ana mātou i ngā mōkī pārongo ki ngā kaipōti 512,000 kua rēhitatia, ā, kua kī mai he uri Māori rātou, hei whakamāramatanga mō te kōwhiringa nei’.

Ka whakaputaina hoki he whakatairanga, ā, ka whakaritea he whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ā-hapori hei toro atu ki te hunga kāhore anō kia rēhita ki te pōti me te hunga kua hūnuku whare.

'Ka āhei ngā tāngata i mate ki te hūnuku whare nā te Huripari Gabrielle ki te waea mai ki 0800 36 76 56 e whiwhi ai rātou i ētehi whakamāramatanga nō, ka mutu, ka āhei ki te haere ki vote.nz ki te whakahou i ō rātou taipitopito wāhi noho, ki te whakawhiti rārangi rānei,’ e kī ana a Karl Le Quesne.

Hei tā Hone Matthews, hei tā te Amo Māori o Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri, he kōwhiringa whai take tēnei mā te Māori.

‘Ko tā te Māori he kōwhiri i te rārangi pōti Māori, i te rārangi pōti whānui rānei ina rēhita ia ki te pōti,’ hei tā Hone Matthews.

‘Mehemea kei te rārangi Māori koe, ka pōti koe mō tētehi kaitono i te rohe pōti Māori e noho nā koe, heoi, mehemea kei te rārangi whānui koe, ka pōti koe mō tētehi kaitono i te rohe pōti whānui e noho nā koe. Kotahi anake te rārangi o ngā rōpū tōrangapū hei pōti māu, ahakoa kei te rārangi Māori koe, ahakoa kei te rārangi whānui rānei.

‘Tāria te mōkī pārongo i tō mēra, whakaarohia hoki te rārangi e hiahia nā koe. He mana tō te kōwhiri,’ te kī a Hone Matthews.

Ngā pātai auau mō Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori

Hei āwhea ka āhei koe ki te kōwhiri i tētehi rārangi pōti mōu?
Mehemea he Māori koe, ā, ko tēnei tō rēhitatanga mātahi ki te pōti, ka kōwhiri koe i te rārangi pōti e hiahia nā koe.

Ka āhei hoki koe ki te whakawhiti i tō kātū rārangi ahakoa te wā, engari kaua:

• i roto i te 3 marama i mua i tētehi pōtitanga ā-motu
• i roto i te 3 marama i mua i ngā pōtitanga ā-rohe ka tū i ia 3 tau

i mua i tētehi pōtitanga pāerotanga ā-pāremata, mehemea nā tō whakawhitinga, ka nekehia koe ki te rohe pōti e tū ai taua pōtitanga pāerotanga.

He aha ngā tūāhuatanga kua rerekē?
I ngā tau o mua, ka āhei te Māori ki te whakawhiti rārangi i ngā marama e 4 o te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori ka tū i ia 5 tau, i ia 6 tau rānei.

I te Noema 2022, i whakahoutia te ture e te Pāremata kia āhei ai ngā kaipōti Māori ki te whakawhiti rārangi ahakoa te wā, engari kaua i roto i te 3 marama i mua i te pōtitanga ā-motu, i mua rānei i ngā pōtitanga ā-rohe, i mua rānei i ētehi pōtitanga pāerotanga ā-pāremata.

Hei āwhea ka āhei te tangata ki te whakawhiti rārangi i tēnei tau?
Ka āhei ngā uri Māori kua rēhita kētia ki te whakawhiti rārangi pōti i waenganui i te 31 o Māehe me te 13 o Hūrae, ā muri hoki i te pōtitanga.

Me pēwhea te whakawhiti rārangi?
Mehemea e pai ana ki a koe te rārangi e noho nā koe, kāhore he mahi atu anō. Mehemea e hiahia ana koe ki te whakawhiti rārangi, ka āhei koe ki te whakawhiti ā-ipurangi i vote.nz, ki te whakahoki mai rānei i te reta kei tō mōkī pārongo, ki te whakakī rānei i tētehi puka rēhita hou. Ka āhei hoki koe ki te waea mai ki 0800 36 76 56 ki te tono kia tukuna atu he puka ki a koe.

He aha te pānga o te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori ki te maha o ngā rohe pōti Māori?

Ka whakamahia te tokomaha o ngā Māori kei te rārangi whānui me te rārangi Māori, ā, ka whakamahia hoki ngā hua o te tatauranga ā-motu, ki te whakatau i te maha o ngā rohe pōti whānui me ngā rohe pōti Māori.

Ka tohu pea te maha o ngā Māori kua rēhita ki te rārangi Māori i te pikinga o te maha o ngā rohe pōti Māori, i te hekenga, i te pupurutanga rānei kia ōrite tonu, hei ngā pōtitanga o ngā tau e heke mai nei.

I tēnei wā, e 65 ngā rohe pōti whānui, ā, e 7 ngā rohe pōti Māori.

© Scoop Media