Northland's enrolment for General Election still growing

Another 500 Northlanders enrolled to vote in the past week. There's still time - and it's easy. Photo/File

Enrolment numbers are still increasing in Northland, with just days left until the General Election.

In the past week, 500 additional Northland voters have enrolled, according to the Electoral Commission's statistics. This year's total enrolment was already about 6500 more people than were enrolled in the 2014 election - and there's still time to enrol and vote.

This takes Whangarei's total enrolment to 49,980 enrolled voters - 91.7 per cent of the district's eligible population.

Northland's enrolled population grew to 48,444, a little more than 88 per cent of all those eligible to vote.

About 21,500 of Te Tai Tokerau's 35,020 enrolled voters live in the Northland and Whangarei electorates. Te Tai Tokerau extends down as far as North and West Auckland.

More than 13,300 Northland residents were still not enrolled - but there's still time.

The last chance to enrol is Friday. There is no enrolment on election day, Saturday.

"If you're not enrolled, just drop into any advance voting place and you'll be able to enrol and vote at the same time," chief electoral officer Alicia Wright said.

''There are 17 advanced voting places open now throughout Northland, including four in Whangarei town. Just take yourself - you don't need any ID. You can find a full list at elections.org.nz.''

The 18-24-year-old age group still has by far the lowest enrolment rate.

About 4220 young people were not enrolled in the region's electorates. About 72 per cent of Whangarei's and 65 per cent of Northland's young voters were enrolled. Nationwide the figure was 67.5 per cent.

A record number of people have voted early in this election. More than 445,000 people have already cast their vote, almost double the 225,000 at this point in 2014, which was itself more than twice the number cast at the same point in 2011 - 90,861.

People can enrol and vote at any advance voting place, or can get an enrolment form at www.elections.org.nz to print, sign and return.

"If you've got an Easyvote card, take it with you when you go to vote, as it will make voting faster and easier," says Ms Wright.

"You can still vote if you don't have an EasyVote card, but it will take a bit longer."