170,000 off electoral roll

Nearly 170,000 voters have been struck off the electoral roll because they have moved and not updated their details, Electoral Enrolment Centre national manager Murray Wicks said yesterday.

All registered electors were sent a personalised update pack early last month outlining their enrolment details. They needed to respond only if the details needed to be updated.

Almost 48,000 packs sent to previously enrolled electors were returned marked "Gone - no address" or "undeliverable", resulting in the electors being taken off the roll.

"In total, almost 170,000 electors have been removed from the roll since the last general election because their details are out of date," Mr Wicks said.

"This includes 45,000 identified Maori voters, which represents over 10 per cent of identified Maori voters that are currently enrolled."

All up, 253,000 eligible voters were now not enrolled.

Mr Wicks said people needed to enrol or update their details by August 20 to receive voting papers in the mail for the local council and district health board elections.

- NZPA