Election to be held in New Zealand later this year

New Zealand’s general election will be held on Saturday 26 November, 2011 — are you enrolled to vote yet?

New Zealand citizens and residents over 18 years old who are living in New Zealand are legally obliged to enrol to vote.  New Zealand citizens living offshore are also entitled to vote, unless they have not been back to New Zealand for a period of three years (permanent residents can be out of the country for only one year and still qualify to vote).

Enrolment does not happen automatically, but enrolling to vote is very easy; the forms can be downloaded from the Elections New Zealand website or even completed online.

Voting papers are not automatically sent to voters who are outside New Zealand on election day.  Overseas voters will be able to download their voting papers from the Elections New Zealand website from Wednesday 9 November, or apply for them through the Electoral Commission.