Enrolling to vote and voting

You must enrol to vote if you are 18 or older, are a New Zealand citizen or a "resident for electoral purposes" (previously called "permanent resident"), and have lived in New Zealand for 1 year in a row at some time in your life. In the 2026 general election, election day is 7 November. Enrolment closes at midnight on 25 October. You cannot enrol at a voting place. Once you are enrolled, you can also vote in local elections.

Key facts

2026 general election day

Saturday 7 November 2026¹

Enrolment deadline for the 2026 general election

Midnight on Sunday 25 October 2026, which is 13 days before election day¹

Early voting starts

Monday 26 October 2026¹

Voting closes

7pm on Saturday 7 November 2026. On election day, voting places are open 9am–7pm²

EasyVote card

Sent by post or email to people who enrol before Sunday 4 October²

Official results announced

Friday 27 November²

Who can enrol

Adults who are New Zealand citizens or residents for electoral purposes, and who have lived in New Zealand continuously for at least 1 year³

Time limit to enrol

If you are eligible and in New Zealand, you must apply to enrol within 1 month of first becoming eligible³

Pre-enrolling at 17

You can apply to enrol at 17. You do not need to apply again when you turn 18³

Maximum fine for knowingly and deliberately not enrolling

NZ$100 for a first offence, NZ$200 for a later offence³

Electoral Commission free phone

0800 36 76 56¹

Get an enrolment form by text

Text your name and address free to 3676¹

Local elections

Held every three years. Currently all voting is by post. The next one is in 2028⁴

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

• You are 18 or older. You can pre-enrol at 17.
• You are a New Zealand citizen or a "resident for electoral purposes". The official plain-language explanation is: someone who lives in New Zealand lawfully and is not required to leave New Zealand by a certain date.
• You have lived in New Zealand continuously for at least 1 year at some time in your life. It does not have to be the most recent year.
• If you meet these conditions and you are in New Zealand, the law says you must enrol.
• There are also limits if you live overseas. You will be removed from the electoral roll if you are a resident and have not been back to New Zealand for more than 12 months, or a citizen and have not been back for more than 3 years.
• If you are not sure whether you qualify, call the Electoral Commission on 0800 36 76 56. This page does not give immigration or legal advice about your personal status.

How do I do it? Steps and process

1. Check if you are already enrolled

   Go to vote.nz/enrol to check. To protect privacy, your details must match your enrolment record exactly. If you cannot find yourself, you may still be enrolled. Call 0800 36 76 56 and ask them to check for you.

2. Enrol or update your details online

   Enrol at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, a New Zealand passport or a RealMe verified identity. You must also update your details if you move house or change your name.

3. Or use a paper form

   Call 0800 36 76 56, or text your name and address to 3676, to get an enrolment form. Fill it in and sign it. Then upload it at vote.nz, email it to enrol@vote.nz, or post it free to the Electoral Commission (Freepost).

4. Finish before the deadline

   Enrolment for the 2026 general election closes at midnight on 25 October. After that you cannot enrol, and you cannot enrol at a voting place either. If you are not enrolled, you cannot vote.

5. Go and vote

   From 26 October you can vote early at any voting place in the country. Election day is 7 November. Bring your EasyVote card. A paper card, the email on your phone, a screenshot or a printout are all fine. You do not need ID. You can still vote without an EasyVote card, but it takes a little longer. You have two votes on the voting paper: the left side is for a party (party vote) and the right side is for your local electorate MP (electorate vote).

6. Local elections

   If you are enrolled for parliamentary elections, you can vote in local government elections (for mayor, councillors and so on). You do not need to enrol separately. Local elections are by postal vote, and the next one is in 2028.

What documents do I need?

• To enrol online, you need one of these: a New Zealand driver licence, a New Zealand passport or a RealMe verified identity
• To vote: your EasyVote card (you can still vote without it)

What should I watch out for?

• This election is different from the last two: you cannot enrol and vote at the same time at a voting place. Check your enrolment at vote.nz today.
• You must cast a "special vote" at the voting place and fill in an extra form if you enrolled after 4 October, if you vote outside your electorate, or if you are on the unpublished roll.
• The electoral roll is public. People can look at it in places such as libraries. If having your name and address public would put your safety at risk, you can apply to go on the unpublished roll.
• No one can tell you who to vote for. If you need help, a friend, a family member or a voting place staff member can come behind the voting screen with you. They cannot decide your vote for you.
• If you did not update your address and mail sent to your old address comes back, you may be moved to the dormant roll. You can still vote if you are on the dormant roll. But if your current address and your enrolled address are in different electorates, you may only be able to cast a party vote. To get back on the main roll, update your address before voting starts on 26 October. You cannot do this at a voting place.
• If you are ill or have limited mobility and cannot get to a voting place, you can fill in a form to ask someone to collect and return your voting papers for you. If no one can help, call 0800 36 76 56 and ask whether voting papers can be brought to you.
• If you should have enrolled in the past but did not, you will not be prosecuted for that, as long as you enrol now.
• This page only summarises public information. Your eligibility is decided by the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Act 1993.

What has changed recently?

• 2026-10-25
  For the 2026 general election, enrolment closes at midnight on the deadline day. Unlike the last two general elections, you cannot enrol and vote on the spot at a voting place. Coming soonSource: elections.nz ↗
• 2025-12-20
  The Electoral Amendment Act 2025 is now in force. In the voting eligibility rules, "permanent resident" is now called "resident for electoral purposes". The enrolment deadline is now the end of the 13th day before election day.Source: legislation.govt.nz ↗

Common questions

Where can I check the official information?

1. Make sure you're enrolled for the 2026 General Election (factsheet, 9 June 2026)Electoral Commission · elections.nz
2. Get ready to enrol and vote in the 2026 General Election (Easy Read guide, August 2026)Electoral Commission · vote.nz
3. Electoral Act 1993Parliamentary Counsel Office (legislation.govt.nz) · legislation.govt.nz
4. Our role in local electionsMinistry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport · mcert.govt.nz

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