The Electoral Enrolment Centre says there were record enrolments for this year's election.
A total of 2.99 million people were enrolled to vote, 95.31 percent of the estimated eligible voting population.
"New Zealand has one of the highest enrolment rates in the world," said Murray Wicks, the centre's manager.
"To get these sorts of results the Electoral Enrolment Centre works steadily every day to get people enrolled and to encourage people to update their address details if they move house."
[comment caption=Do you think the referendum question is well worded?]Mr Wicks said that next year there would be an indicative referendum held by postal vote on the question: Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
"People need to make sure they keep their enrolment details up to date to be able to have their say in that referendum," he said.
The 2,990,759 enrolled voters compared with 2,847,396 in 2005, and the 95.31 percent of the estimated eligible voting population compared with 95.22 percent in 2005.
But high voter enrolment did not translate into high turnout, with the election having among the lowest turnout in decades.
Preliminary results from the Electoral Office estimated 2,345,104 votes were cast, which meant 634,262 enrolled voters failed to show up on polling day.
That was more than 100,000 extra no-shows than last election.
The estimated 78.69 percent of enrolled voters turning out to vote would be the second-lowest proportion recorded since 1987.
Voter turnout for the 2005 election was 80.92 percent of enrolled voters.
A low voter turnout in the Maori seats today led the Maori Party to say there is something wrong with democracy in New Zealand.
Co-leader Pita Sharples said today preliminary statistics indicated a 55 percent turnout, well below 2005 figures.
Dr Sharples said that in 2005 the turnout across the seven Maori electorates varied from 62.05 percent to 69.79 percent.
On Saturday, the lowest was 50.27 percent and the highest was 56.14 percent.
