Nearly one in three young voters still not enrolled as deadline looms

Summarised by Centrist

Almost one-third of eligible New Zealanders aged 18 to 24 remain unenrolled with just three days before the deadline, and new electoral rules mean anyone who misses the cutoff will be unable to vote in November's general election.

Latest Electoral Commission figures show almost 302,500 young people enrolled, representing just shy of 69% of eligible voters in that age group.

Across all ages, nearly 3,730,000 people are enrolled, or just over 92% of the eligible population, compared with nearly 95% at the 2023 election.

However, the total number enrolled has already exceeded the roughly 3,700,000 recorded in 2023, reflecting population growth.

Unlike previous elections, voters can no longer enrol at polling stations during advance voting or on election day. They must be registered by midnight on Sunday, 25 October.

Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne warned: "You must be enrolled by midnight this Sunday 25 October for your vote to count."

A former polling booth manager has warned that voters unaware of the changes could become angry when turned away.

Advance voting begins on Monday, 26 October, with 207 voting places initially available. More than 2,300 locations will operate on election day, Saturday, 7 November.

EasyVote cards are being distributed but are not required to cast a ballot.

Voters can check or update their enrolment at vote.nz.

Read more at RNZ

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