An advance voting place in the Bethlehem Town Centre in 2017. File photo/George Novak
The 2018 Māori Electoral Option starts next month, giving Māori voters the chance to choose between being on the Māori roll or the general roll.
The Option will run from April 3 to August 3, with information packs being sent will be sent in early April to voters who identified
themselves as Māori when they enrolled.
The pack will include a letter confirming which electoral roll they are currently on and giving them the option to change roll types if they wish.
Mandy Bohté of the Electoral Commission said it was an important choice for Māori voters.
"It decides whether they will be on the Māori or general roll for the next two general elections."
Voters on the Māori roll can vote for a candidate in a Māori electorate and voters on the general roll can vote for a candidate in a general electorate. Whichever roll a voter is on, they choose from the same list of political parties when casting their party vote.
The results of the 2018 Census and the Māori Electoral Option will help determine the number of Māori and general electorates for the next two general elections.
On Saturday the commission will launch an advertising campaign to encourage people to make their choice.
"Electoral Commission teams will be at events like the Kapa Haka regionals over the next four months as part of a kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) campaign to spread the word about the Option," said Ms Bohté.
