Enrolling New Zealand citizens to be on the electoral role is a challenge. This is despite it being a legal requirement of the Electoral Act.
I join others in asking if you have enrolled, or know of people who have not enrolled.
What has changed?
Why should I enrol? First equal, it is actually a requirement of the Electoral Act to be on the electoral roll. So, enrolling New Zealand citizens is necessary. Also (pardon the plainly obvious), one cannot vote if one is not enrolled.
But I can enrol on the day. No you cannot. The legislation that has since passed into law – prohibits anyone who does not enrol before voting opens on 24 October from casting a ballot paper.
But why? What good is voting when my vote is just one? Because every vote counts. A good example was in the 2011 election. National M.P. Paula Bennett and Labour M.P. Carmel Sepuloni were contesting the Waitakere electorate. It came down to single digit votes, with Ms Bennett winning it by just 9 votes. That gave National an extra electorate seat in Parliament. If Ms Sepuloni had got 10 votes more, she would be holding the seat.
There are other examples like this in N.Z. history.
Not all parties respect your democratic right
In August, the Government was accused of voter suppression by stealth. Unsurprisingly, they denied this. Suppression of voters using this tactic is also not new. The Electoral Amendment Bill was opposed by 80% of submitters when it went before the Select Committee in 2025. Only 0.5% of submissions supported it. The Government Attorney General spoke against it.
Lobby groups and networks such as Atlas Network and Taxpayers Union, are actively trying to lobby the Government to deregulate the country. The regulations that are being repealed range from environmental checks and balances like the Resource Management Act, to occupational safety and health law. Legislation also passed under urgency that has undermined pay equity for women. Other legislation called the Regulatory Standards Act, undermines the entire foundation for setting regulatory standards.
If that kind of legislative activity concerns you, then your vote is essential.
My favourite reason for wanting people to vote is simple. If you don’t take a few minutes once every 3 years to cast your ballot paper, you have no right to grumble if the results do not go your way. 29,000 New Zealanders died in two world wars and a host of smaller ones to guarantee our freedom as a nation and people. They fought so that a better world could be left for future generations. Are we going to let politicians who want the power without the responsibility that goes with it, undo all that New Zealand has gained?
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