July 13 last day for voters who want to switch electoral rolls

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Time is running out for East Coast and Ikaroa-Rawhiti voters who want to change rolls for the 2023 general election.

Voters of Māori descent can choose to go on either the Māori roll or general roll when they first enrol to vote and can change rolls at any time except in the three months before an election.

That means Māori who want to change the roll they are on must do so by July 13.

“If you’re happy with the roll you’re on, you don’t need to do anything,” said chief electoral oficer Karl Le Quesne.

“If you would like to switch from the general roll to the Māori roll, or the Māori roll to the general roll, you need to act now.”

Between March 31 and June 22, 11,835 people changed roll types — 6389 from the general roll to the Māori roll, and 5446 from the Māori roll to the general roll.

Nationwide, there have been 1360 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 727 new enrolments on the general roll.