Electoral Commission discusses early voter turnout

Provisional enrolment figures for the upcoming general election reveal that 93.6% of eligible voters, approximately 3.8 million people, are registered to vote. This figure is slightly lower than the 94.7% recorded in the 2023 election but remains higher than the enrolment rates from 2014 and 2017. The Electoral Commission attributes this decline to the early closure of enrolments, which shifted the deadline two weeks earlier than in previous elections.

Carla Kane, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, acknowledges the challenges posed by the new enrolment timeline but emphasizes the successful addition of over 85,000 voters aged 18 to 24 since August, raising their enrolment rate to 74.2%. This marks a significant increase from just over 50% in July. However, the overall enrolment rate for this age group is still slightly down from the previous election.

Regarding Māori voters, approximately 55% of those identifying as Māori are now on the Māori roll, reflecting a notable increase in new enrolments rather than just role switching. Kane expresses optimism about the efforts made to engage voters and plans to conduct a thorough review post-election to assess the effectiveness of their strategies and identify areas for improvement.

Voters unsure if they're enrolled will be given special votes at polling booths, but they won't count if it turns out they weren't enrolled on time. Unlike past elections, voters are no longer able to enrol to vote at the polling booth. Electoral Commission Chief Executive Karl Le Quesne spoke to John Campbell.