Line-dancing and voting - a peculiar pairing, but one that worked, Bernadette said.
She was among the 204,191 Kiwis who had voted since advance voting began on Monday.
That was tracking behind the equivalent time in 2020, where 468,612 votes were already cast 10 days out from election day.
Bernadette Rapana voted early after going to line-dancing with a friend. Photo / Nick Monro, RNZ
However, there were two extra days of voting in 2020, with advance voting starting on October 3 and finishing on October 16.
This year, advance voting started on October 2 and would finish on October 13.
If comparing the first three days of advance voting, there were 264,744 votes cast in 2020, versus 204,191 this year.
Almost two million people cast advance votes at the 2020 election, up from 1.2 million in 2017.
Leigh says more younger people need to have voting explained to them. Photo / Nick Monro, RNZ
But this year, some first-time voters like Leigh were still unsure exactly when they would get around to it.
“I might vote next week because I know the voting ends on Saturday the 14th,” she said.
At the last general election there was a big boost in the number of young people turning out to vote, with an increase of more than 40,000 among 18-to-24-year-olds.
Leigh was keen to continue the trend, but she said some young people might need more of a push.
“People my age don’t understand the age limit. They think it’s for adults, but little do they know it’s also for younger adults as well. Explaining that more to younger adults would be great.”
It was not just the youngest getting involved for the first time.
Danny, 37, felt that it was important to have a say at this election.
Danny wants change for his neighbourhood. Photo / Nick Monro, RNZ
“I just want to get amongst, be a part of this movement, and have a voice,” he said.
Danny wanted his electorate to have a big turnout at the voting booths, so the outcome of the election reflected their interests.
Vikas, 28, said he would cast his first ever vote in the next couple of days.
“For me, it’s the first time, it’s a new experience, so I’m pretty excited,” he said.
Vikas said young people should realise how much power they had to decide the outcome of the election - especially in an electorate like Panmure-Ōtāhuhu where about half the population was under the age of 30.
Farther south in the Manurewa electorate, it was also a young crowd.
At Manukau Institute of Technology, there was a voting station where many students would have their say for the first time.
