Maori roll or general roll? Launch of Maori Electoral Option being held in Whangarei

If you're a Maori voter and want to change which electoral roll you're on, now is your chance.

The 2018 Maori Electoral Option, which gives voters the chance to choose between being on the Maori roll or the general roll, starts on Tuesday, April 3 and ends on Thursday August 2.

For Northland Maori voters that means if you're currently able to vote for candidates in the Northland or Whangarei electorate, you can choose to swap rolls and vote for Te Tai Tokerau candidates - or vice-versa.

It will not affect which party you vote for.

Mandy Bohte, national manager of enrolment and community engagement for the Electoral Commission, said now was the time to choose.

"This is an important choice for Maori voters because it decides whether they will be on the Maori or general roll for the next two general elections."

Currently, Maori Electoral Options are held after each five-yearly Census.

The launch of the Maori Electoral Option is being held at the Te Tai Tokerau Kapa Haka Regionals at ASB Stadium today.

If you are enrolled to vote and you said you were of New Zealand Maori descent when you enrolled, you will be sent a personalised Maori Electoral Option pack in the mail.

The pack will come to you in the week starting April 3 and will be sent to the most recent address the Electoral Commission has.

If you want to change the electoral roll you are on sign and date the letter you received and either scan or photograph it and upload it at maorioption.org.nz, email it to maorioption@elections.org.nz; or post it in the reply envelope provided in your pack.

If you do not want to change the electoral roll you are on you do not need to do anything.

Four Maori seats were established in 1867 to give Maori a say in Parliament.

In 1986 a Royal Commission on the electoral system recommended Maori seats be abolished should MMP be adopted.

However, Maori fought for the seats and, before the first MMP election in 1996, the number of Maori seats were increased to five.

Two more seats were added in 2002 and there are currently seven Maori seats.

For more information visit maorioption.org.nz