Election 2020: First Tauranga advance votes cast

What does Tauranga need from the general election? Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Tauranga ballot boxes are filling up with the first of the 2020 general election votes rolling in.

Nationally more than 165,000 people had their say through advance voting on the weekend, almost double the 87,000 in the first two days of voting in 2017.

This year, more than half of voters are expected to enter the booths before election day, meaning the election result will likely be decided by votes cast before October 17.

Bayfair first opened doors to voters on Saturday morning.

Bayfair manager Steve Ellingford. Photo / File

With the mall's "high visitation and visibility", the voting site "makes a lot of sense", Bayfair manager Steve Ellingford said.

"It suits a lot of people coming in to do their shopping, they can pop in and vote at the same time."

In his personal opinion, it is important we all vote "to make a difference to what we think's right".

"There's no point sitting back."

According to Massey University politics expert Professor Richard Shaw, advance voting is important "because not everyone can make it on Saturday [October 17]".

Massey University politics expert Professor Richard Shaw. Photo / File

"They might have work, family or whānau commitments, they might be crook ... It's to maximise voter turnout to the greatest extent possible, to remove obstacles."

In his opinion, advance voting is "even more" important amid a global pandemic.

"People are a little bit antsy, we don't want to go stand in halls with several hundred other people. So it makes particularly good sense to give people a bit more time and space."

Voters cannot change their mind after submitting their voting papers, but Shaw said "the majority of people's political opinions ... are more or less set by now".

"There's always going to be a small margin of people who literally make their mind up on the day, or sometimes literally in the booth, and those people are not going to do advance voting. But if you know now ... there's every incentive for you to go and cast your votes early."

The Electoral Commission's latest enrolment figures for the Tauranga electorate boundaries (combining both those on the Māori roll and general roll) show 6,167 eligible people have not enrolled to vote.

Advance voting on Willow St next to the Tauranga Library. Photo / George Novak

The Tauranga age group with the lowest enrolment rate was 25 to 29-year-olds at 73.96 per cent, with 1276 yet to enrol.

The age group with the highest rate was 98.64 per cent, among those over 70, with just 164 not enrolled.

But it is not too late to sign up - you can even enrol on election day.

"People can enrol and vote at the same time," an Electoral Commission spokesman said.

"We give them an enrolment form to complete, along with their voting papers."

The Commission is asking voters to bring their own pen if they can, and their EasyVote card if they have received it in the mail.

Tauranga advance voting sites

• Bethlehem Primary School Hall, 66 Carmichael Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Church of Christ, 1400 Cameron Rd, October 5 to October 10, 10am-4pm, October 12 to October 13, 10am-4pm, October 14, 10am-5pm, October 15, 10am-6pm, October 16, 10am-5pm
• Mt Maunganui College, 565 Maunganui Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Mount Maunganui Senior Citizens' Hall, 345 Maunganui Rd, October 5 to October 10, 10am-4pm, October 12 to October 13, 10am-4pm, October 14 to October 15, 10am-6.30pm, October 16, 10am - 6pm
• Ex Frank Casey (Opposite ACC building), 89 Grey St, October 5 to October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm, October 12, 10am-5pm, October 15 to 16, 10am-5.30pm
• Aquinas College, 183 Pyes Pa Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-pm
• Brookfield School, 20 Millers Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Central Baptist Church Hall, Corner Cameron Rd and 13th Ave, October 5 to October 10, 10am-4pm, October 12 to 14, 10am-4pm, October 15 to October 16,10am-5pm
• Greenpark School, 13 Lumsden St, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Greerton Community Hall, 1247 Cameron Rd, October 10 to October 11, 9am-4pm, October 12, 10.30am-4pm, October 13, 11.30am-4pm, October 14, 9am-4pm, October 16, 10.30am-4pm
• Matua School, 147 Levers Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Gate Pa School, 900 Cameron Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Otūmoetai Intermediate School, 5 Charles St, October 10, 10am-4pm
• Otūmoetai School, 236 Otumoetai Rd, October 11, 10am-3pm
• Pillans Point School, 101 Maxwells Rd, October 10, 10am-4pm
• Fraser Cove Centre ex Toyworld, 221 Fraser St, October 3 to October 9, 10am-4pm, October 10 to October 12, 10am-5pm, October 13, 10am-6pm, October 14 to October 15, 10am-6.30pm, October 16, 10am-6pm
• Tauranga Ex-iSite Centre next to Tauranga Library, 95 Willow St, October 5 to October 10, 10am-4pm, October 11, 10am-3pm, October 12 to 13, 10am-5pm, October 14 to 16, 10am-6pm
• Tauranga Intermediate School, 30 Eighteenth Ave, October 10, 10am-4pm
• Tauranga Primary School Hall, 31 5th Ave, October 10, 10am-4pm
• Tauranga Crossing (ground floor next to H&M), October 3 to 9, 10am-6pm, October 10, 9am-6pm, October 14 to 15, 9am-6.30pm, October 17, 9am-6pm
• Mt Maunganui Surf Club, 21 Adams Ave, October 1, 8.30am-4pm, October 12 to October 14, 9am-4pm, October 15 to 16, 9am-5pm
• Bethlehem Town Centre (by Hammer Hardware), 19 Bethlehem Rd, October 10 to 13, 10am-5pm, October 14 to 15, 10am-6.30pm, October 16, 10am-6pm
• Western Bay District Council, 1484 Cameron Rd, October 5 to October 9, 10am-4pm, October 12-14, 10am-4pm, October 15 to 16, 10am-5pm
• Bethlehem Town Centre (between The Coffee Club & Columbus Coffee), 19 Bethlehem Rd, October 5 to October 9, 10am-4pm, October 10 to October 13, 10am-5pm, October 14 to October 15, 10am-6.30pm, October 16, 10am to 6pm
• helloworld, Tauranga Crossing, October 5 to October 9, 10am-3pm, October 10 to October 11, 10am-4pm, October 12 to October 14, 10am-3pm, October 15 to October 16, 10am-5pm
• Harbourside Netball Centre, opposite 476 Maunganui Rd, October 5 to October 13, 10am-4pm, October 14 to October 16, 10am-5pm