With 10 days to go before the Māori roll electoral option closes, former Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell is urging whānau to register and then make their votes count in October.
Thursday next week - the cut-off is midnight on July 13 - is the final day Māori canchoose to either register on the Māori roll or the general roll for the October election.
Flavell said Māori votes could well determine who forms the next government. He said issues like co-governance, water rights and greater Māori influence at the local government level are set to be major talking points.
“Our people do not respond, [or] seem not to be worried too much about what happens in politics. Yet that’s at the heart of issues that some of our people face – because we’re actually the collateral damage of some of the decisions made in Parliament,” Flavell told waateanews.com.
From March 31 to July 3, 12,314 Māori voters have changed rolls - 6,662 from the general roll to the Māori roll, and 5,652 from the Māori roll to the general roll.
There have been 1,505 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 824 new enrolments on the general roll.
Another 19,135 people haven’t changed rolls but have updated their details - their address, for example.
Each of the seven Māori electorates has seen some movement.
In Hauraki-Waikato, 756 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 710 from the Māori to the general and 168 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
In Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, 755 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 785 from the Māori to the general and 151 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
In Tāmaki Makaurau, 1,073 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 670 from the Māori to the general and 376 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
In Te Tai Hauāuru, 985 have gone from the general to the Maori roll, 713 from the Māori to the general and 127 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
In Te Tai Tokerau, 1,036 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 793 from the Māori to the general and 304 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
In Te Tai Tonga, 1,283 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 1,173 from the Māori to the general and 229 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
And in Waiariki, 774 have gone from the general to the Māori roll, 808 from Maori to the general and 150 new voters registered to the Māori roll.
