Thousands of Māori switch rolls ahead of October election

Almost 40,000 Māori have swapped rolls for the October election. PHOTO / FILE

Thousands of Māori have taken the opportunity to change electoral rolls in the lead-up to October’s general election.

The moves follow a tweak to the Electoral Legislation Bill in November last year, which lets Māori change rolls at any time, and as many times as necessary, except in the three-month period before a general election.

The electoral commission said nearly 40,000 voters of Māori descent changed rolls, enrolled for the first time, or updated their details between March 31 and midnight of July 13, this year.

Some 14,587 changed rolls, with 8109 moving from the general roll to the Māori roll, and 6478 from the Māori roll to the general roll.

Before the law change Māori could only switch between the Māori and general electoral rolls once every five to six years during a four-month slot after the census, despite elections occurring every three years.

There were 2133 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 1108 new enrolments on the general roll, according to the commission.

“We’re now in that three-month period when you can’t change between the Māori and general rolls before the election,” chief electoral officer Karl Le Quesne says.

“If you’re Māori and enrolled to vote, the roll you’re on now is the roll you will be on for the 2023 general election on October 14. You’ll be able to change rolls again after the election.”

Those who aren’t yet enrolled to vote can still enrol and make their choice between the Māori roll and the general roll right up to the election, Le Quesne says.

Roughly 22,136 voters of Māori descent didn’t change rolls but updated their details, for example their address, in the lead-up to October.

People can enrol, check the roll they are on, or update their address online at vote.nz, or call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for an enrolment form to be sent to them in the mail.