Research shows many people aren't aware there's a general election this year, but this week more than 100,000 Northlanders will get a vivid reminder.
Electoral Enrolment Update packs, with the bright orange election man on the front, have been sent to 101,420 people in Northland as the campaign to get people enrolled to vote steps up.
A general election must be held by the end of November, and the registrars of electors for the Northland region have launched the major enrolment drive to get people in the Whangarei, Northland and Te Tai Tokerau electorates ready to vote.
Whangarei registrar of electors June Newman said a Research NZ study prepared for the Electoral Enrolment Centre showed that 55 per cent of Pacific people, 53 per cent of young people, 45 per cent of Asians and 43 per cent of Maori did not know it is election year.
"The start of the enrolment drive signals the countdown to election day has officially started. We can't say it strongly enough, this year is your chance to vote at the general election, get ready for it by getting enrolled and enrolled correctly now," she said.
People who have not received their enrolment update pack by today will need to enrol.
They can enrol or update their details online at www.elections.org.nz. Enrolment forms are also available by freetexting your name and address to 3676, calling 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56) or at any PostShop.
Anybody who does not get an enrolment update pack is not correctly enrolled to vote. This is particularly important for people who have moved house or who have turned 18 recently or become newly eligible.
Ms Newman said enrolling to vote didn't happen automatically once a person turned 18 or becomes eligible. "You do need to fill in an enrolment form," she said.
Orange means get set - to vote
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