If you’re overseas, and you’re enrolled to vote, you can download and complete your voting papers for the 2026 General Election.
Overseas voting for the 2026 General Election opens on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (NZ time).
A link to download your voting papers will be available on this page from that date.
Your voting papers will include an instruction sheet, a statutory declaration form, and your ballot paper for the 2026 General Election.
If you're voting from overseas, you must be enrolled by midnight on Sunday 25 October (NZ time) but enrol earlier if you can. You won’t be able to download your voting papers if you are not enrolled.
You can only download your voting papers if you’re eligible to vote from overseas.
IMPORTANT: Before returning your voting papers, make sure both you and your witness have correctly completed and signed your special vote declaration, or your vote may not count. We cannot accept typed signatures, including any signature using a handwriting style font or script.
You can find detailed instructions about how to complete your voting papers here.
How to complete your voting papers
Overseas voters can now complete their voting papers using an electronic device. This includes overseas voters and their witnesses signing the special vote declaration using a digital signature. Please note that we cannot accept your voting papers if the signature is typed font. We can only allow them where your normal signature is present.
How to complete your voting papers
You may also choose to print your voting papers and complete them by hand. Make sure your printer doesn't crop or cut off any part of your voting papers - especially the witness statement on your declaration. If necessary, you should choose the option to "fit to page" when printing.
If you have any further questions about completing your voting papers, please contact overseas@vote.nz.
How to return your voting papers
Once you’ve completed your voting papers, the easiest way to return them is to upload them. If you have completed your voting papers by hand, you can scan or photograph them and upload them.
If you're returning your voting papers by uploading them, they must be uploaded by 7pm on election day, Saturday 7 November (NZ time). Late voting papers cannot be accepted.
It's an offense to submit your voting papers more than once.