Explainer - If you plan on casting a vote in November's general election, the clock is ticking - unlike past elections, you have to enrol well before Election Day this year to get your say at the ballot box.

You must enrol by no later than 25 October to vote in the 7 November election.

The decision has been promoted by the government as boosting efficiency and quicker results, but the opposition and some other groups have criticised it as making it harder to vote.

The nonpartisan Electoral Commission has launched a campaign to make sure all eligible voters know about the changes.

"We are working hard to make sure voters are aware of the changes to this year's enrolment deadline," said Anusha Guler, the commission's deputy chief executive of operations.

The goal now is to get the message out to as many as possible before the window closes.

"We have seen a lot of enrolment activity in the past few months and our engagement teams report high interest in enrolling for the election when they are at community events," Guler said.

But there's still concern the new changes won't get across to everyone.

"The majority of New Zealanders - young and old - don't fully understand the changes to election rules," said Kassie Hartendorp, director of the progressive campaign organisation ActionStation Aotearoa.

"Even long-term voters we are talking to are unaware of the changes."

As of 31 August, the commission reports that 89.75 percent of eligible voters are now enrolled, and the rate for youth aged 18 to 24 - which has been falling fast - has risen some to 57.45 percent at the end of August, from 53.89 percent at the end of July.

"There are now 3,636,524 people enrolled to vote, up from 3,609,435 on 31 July," Guler said.

Of course, there could be even more.

Here's what you need to know about getting sorted to vote this year.

You must enrol to vote by midnight Sunday, October 25

In the past few elections, you could enrol at any time during early voting right up to Election Day.

Not any more. Enrolment ends before the early voting period begins 26 October.

How to enrol to vote:

  • Online: Visit the Electoral Commission website and put in your details.
  • Phone: Call 0800 36 76 56 to get an enrolment form sent to you in the mail.
  • Text: Text your name and address to 3676 to get a form sent to you in the mail. Calls and texts are free.

If you need additional help to enrol, the Electoral Commission has details on that too.

But actually, enrolling by 4 October is even better

 

If you enrol by 4 October, which is Writ Day, you can get your EasyVote card - which isn't mandatory, but helps staff find your name and details on the electoral roll on Election Day.

Many people this year may get their EasyVote card by email instead of the post - read here for more details on why that is.

You'll also be on the printed roll, which closes 4 October - if you enrol after that date and before 25 October, your vote will be a "special vote."

Special votes are by anyone who isn't on the electoral roll or unpublished roll, lives overseas or votes away from a polling place because they can't get to one.

I think I'm already enrolled - how do I check?

More than 3.6 million enrolment packs were sent out to enrolled voters between 17 to 22 August so they could confirm their details were up to date.

If you didn't receive an enrolment pack in the mail, you definitely want to check your status.

Once again, you'll go online to check that. You'll need to have a New Zealand driver licence, passport or RealMe verified identity.

"We're getting a lot of packs returned to us because people have moved. If you didn't receive a pack, it means you are not enrolled or need to update your address," said the Electoral Commission's director of strategic engagement and partnerships Shane Whitfield.

The commission will also send 2 million followup email reminders to voters, and eight community hubs will be set up at shopping malls and other locations in major cities to sign up voters.

Some electorate boundaries and names have also changed since the last general election, so make sure you know where you vote from.

If you need additional help, contact the commission at the freephone number 0800 36 76 56.

Will earlier enrolment deadlines actually affect many people?

Going by the last election, it sure could. The Electoral Commission said that in 2023 there were about 450,000 new enrolments or updates during the early voting period, including 110,000 on Election Day.

Guler said the commission is using a "multi-channel approach to reach people on the channels they use every day and in person, so that we reach all voters, including younger voters and new New Zealanders".

"We are using a wide range of advertising channels including TV, radio, print, digital advertising and social media."

That work may be paying off.

"We are seeing higher enrolment numbers than in the previous two elections," Guler said.

The number of main roll electors signed up as of 31 August is up 5.9 percent from the same time in 2023 and 10.4 percent from 2020, the commission said.

The Electoral Commission has previously estimated about 55,000 party votes and 73,000 electorate votes could be disallowed this year due to a lack of enrolment.

The Electoral Commission has said it won't be keeping track of how many voters are turned away on Election Day if they're not enrolled, Newsroom reported.

Groups such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, ActionStation and local ratepayers associations are among many leading the drive to enrol voters.

"ActionStation is working alongside thousands of community leaders, local groups, and organisations in the biggest community-led 'get out the vote' effort Aotearoa has ever seen," Hartendorp said.

"In 12 years, we've never seen such passion and energy from local people to get involved in an election. We're seeing communities in every single electorate work hard to make sure their friends and whānau are enrolled before October 25."

What's the reason for these changes, anyway?

The coalition government eliminated same-day enrolment as part of a suite of changes in the Electoral Amendment Bill which was passed last December.

In announcing the changes last year, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said that "allowing late enrolments, however well intentioned, has placed too much strain on the system".

Special votes have to undergo checks before they're finalised, and the number of special votes has been growing in recent elections - in 2023, nearly 21 percent, or 603,257 of all votes cast, were special votes. Only 78,030 of those were from overseas voters.

In 2023 it took three weeks for special votes to be counted to confirm the election results.

This year the Electoral Commission is expecting to process about 700,000 special votes.

"I just think three weeks is way too long to count special votes, I think that needs to be sped up," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in 2023.

Special votes have tended to tilt election results to the left in past elections - in 2023 they gave Te Pāti Māori two more electorates and the Greens an extra list seat. National lost two MPs and needed New Zealand First to form a government.

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has promised if elected his government would reverse the changes to electoral enrolments.

Senior Labour MP Damien O'Connor said the coalition was trying to "cut out and eliminate" the votes of poorer, more transient people, while Labour's campaign chair Kieran McAnulty has said the electoral law changes could have a "massive" impact on the election.

National's campaign chair Simeon Brown has said there is "plenty of time" for people to sort their enrolment.

"People know that they need to enrol to vote," he said. "There'll be an advertising campaign run by the Electoral Commission. There's plenty of opportunity for people to enrol. Plenty of time."

But ActionStation's director said the change will make it harder for people to vote.

"These changes are dangerous to democracy. Any expert in how voter turnout works will tell you these changes will likely disenfranchise voters," Hartendorp said.

"For the last 100 years, we've had a history of making it easier to access our right to vote. The current government has quietly flipped that proud tradition, knowing this change would make it harder for people to have their say."

Goldsmith said there was enough time before the next election for people to enrol in time: "I absolutely reject any idea that people will not be able to vote, they just need to be enrolled."

Despite a delay in results being one of the main reason the government pushed to change enrolment dates, the Electoral Commission has said it won't dramatically speed up the official results.

"Our focus this year is on getting as many people as possible enrolled by 25 October at the latest, and preferably by 4 October so they cast an ordinary vote at the voting place," Guler said.