With just days to go before the printed electoral rolls close for this year's general election, just over three-quarters of the youngest eligible voters throughout the country have enrolled.
In Dunedin North, where there is a high student population, the employment of field officers by the registrar of electors to target enrolments in the 18-24-year-old age group have raised enrolments during the last few weeks, but they are still only 53.55% of those estimated to qualify.
Some students may, however, be enrolled in their home electorates.
Several other city electorates have enrolments of young people well under the national rate, including Christchurch Central, Hamilton East, Wellington Central, and Palmerston North.
In Auckland Central, only 47.21% of its youngest potential voters had enrolled by October 2.
On October 2, enrolments for all voters across the country stood at 92.83% of those eligible.
In the south, Dunedin North has 81.66% of estimated eligible voters enrolled, and Clutha Southland 89.27%.
The other electorates, Dunedin South, Waitaki, and Invercargill, all have enrolments well above the national percentage.
The printed roll closes on Wednesday for the general election on November 8.
While voters can still enrol after this time, registrar of electors for Dunedin North and Dunedin South, Dee Vickers, said it was much easier for people to vote when they were on the printed roll.
They would get an EasyVote card and pack in the mail which would speed up voting on election day, whereas anyone enrolling later than October 8 would have to cast a special declaration vote.
"A special declaration vote can take five times as long as an ordinary easy vote, and means filling in extra forms.
These votes aren't counted on election night either."
Unenrolled voters can send a free text message to 3676 seeking a form, go online to www.elections.org.nz, visit a post shop or call 0800 367-656.
