What to do

If you're enrolled by about a month before election day, you’ll get a voting information pack in the mail. The pack tells you:

• how to vote
• who the candidates and political parties are
• when you can vote
• how to find voting places near you. 

You’ll also get an EasyVote card that makes voting quicker on the day.

Voting starts about 2 weeks before election day and ends at 7pm on election day, so you’ve got plenty of time to vote.

On election day, voting places are open from 9am to 7pm.

If you want to vote before election day, the opening hours might be different. Check this website closer to election time for the opening hours of voting places near you.

Voting places open across New Zealand, so everyone has a chance to vote. We’ll publish the locations about 3 weeks before election day.

Voting is quicker if you vote in the area where you live. However, if you’re away from where you usually live, you can vote at the nearest voting place.

Voting from overseas?

Take your EasyVote card with you when you vote. If you haven’t got a card or forget it, you can still vote.

You don’t need to take ID.

When you arrive to vote, someone will be there to guide you and answer your questions. 

Give your EasyVote card to the person issuing voting papers. They’ll find your name on the electoral roll and give you a voting paper. 

If you don’t have an EasyVote card, you’ll be asked for your name and address, and finding you on the electoral roll may take a bit longer.

Once you get your voting paper, you take it to a voting screen where you can vote privately.

You can enrol at a voting place

You need to be enrolled for your vote to count. If you're not enrolled when you get to a voting place, you can enrol there. You can enrol and vote at any voting place, including on election day. You'll need to fill out an enrolment form and a 'special declaration vote' form. Someone will be there to guide you and answer your questions.

You may need to cast a special vote

If your name is not on the printed roll at a voting place, you'll need to fill out a 'special declaration vote' form before you can vote. This is known as a 'special vote'.

Your name may not be on the printed roll if:

• You enrolled after the roll was printed
• You're voting away from your home electorate
• You're on the unpublished roll

If you need help to read or mark your voting paper

A friend, family member or someone working at the voting place can help you mark your voting paper. They can’t tell you who to vote for, but they can:

• go to the voting screen with you
• read out the words and information on the voting paper
• mark the voting paper for you if you ask them to.

You get two votes — a party vote and an electorate vote.

Your party vote is for the political party you want to be in government.

Your electorate vote is for the candidate you would like to be the member of Parliament for the area you live in.

You can vote for a party and a candidate, or vote for only one or the other — it’s your choice.

Voting for a party

On the left side of the voting paper, tick the circle next to the name of the party you choose. You can only vote for one party.

Voting for a candidate

On the right side of the voting paper, tick the circle next to the name of the candidate you choose. You can only vote for one candidate.

Don’t worry if you make a mistake when you’re voting

If you make a mistake when you’re voting, you can take your ‘spoilt’ voting paper back and ask for another one. Spoilt papers aren’t counted.

Putting your voting paper into the ballot box

When you’ve finished marking your voting paper:

• fold it in half
• put it into the ballot box. 

Your vote will be counted after voting closes. How are votes counted?

If you’re enrolled, you’ll get a voting information pack in the mail. The pack tells you:

• how to vote
• who the candidates are
• when you can vote
• where to find voting places near you. 

You’ll also get an EasyVote card that makes voting quicker.

We don’t automatically send voting papers to overseas voters, so get your voting paper by:

• downloading one online
• voting in person at an overseas voting place.

Voting papers are available from about 2 weeks before election day. When a by-election is on, check this website for the details you need to get a voting paper and return it to us.

If you’re enrolled, you can just turn up and vote. Remember to take your EasyVote card. If you haven’t got a card or forget it, you can still vote. You don’t need to take ID.

Voting in a by-election is like voting in a general election. When you get to a voting place, someone will be there to guide you.

Someone will find your name on the printed electoral roll and give you a voting paper. If your name isn’t on the roll, you might need to fill out some forms so you can vote.

You take your voting paper to a voting booth. Your voting paper will have a list of candidates. You tick the circle next to the candidate you want to represent you, fold your paper in half, and put it into a voting box.