Rosston Keith Harris was sent his easy vote card - but he died 16 years ago. Photo / Supplied
Rosston Keith Harris was sent his easy vote card - but he died 16 years ago. Photo / Supplied
A Christchurch man has received an easy vote card despite being dead for 16 years.
The card allows someone to turn up and vote and there are no ID checks at polling booths.
Jason Stagg shared the photo on Facebook of the mail addressed to Rosston Keith Harris, who hesays is his step-grandfather, with the caption: "Dead men can vote now apparently, I wonder how many dead men will vote this election?"
Another photo shared by a friend of Stagg, Life Connection Baptist Fellowship pastor Carl Bromley, showed the easy vote card for Harris cut out.
Bromley asked "how many deceased people are getting voting cards and whose (sic) using them to vote for who?"
Stagg told Newstalk ZB his household received their voting packs before the easy vote card for Harris arrived - but Harris was the only person to get a easy vote card sent to the residence.
"I was really, really surprised because he [Harris] was the original owner of the property I'm living in. He built it in the 1960's and he's long dead."
Stagg said he hadn't contacted the Electoral Commission about the issue as he didn't know where to go with it.
"I'm just wondering how many other dead people are getting these easy vote cards," he said.
"How many dead people are going to vote in this election?"
Rosston Keith Harris received his easy vote card - but he died 16 years ago. Photo / Supplied
Both Bromley and Stagg are proud supporters of the New Conservatives.
An Electoral Commission spokeswoman confirmed Harris is still on the electoral roll despite his death in 2004, and they are following the claim up with Births Deaths and Marriages.
She said they receive daily notifications from the government department and a case like this is extremely rare.
The commission often follows up when mail is sent back to them when someone is no longer living at a property.
The spokeswoman wouldn't comment on whether or not they could tell if Harris' vote card had been used to vote and wouldn't be drawn on specifics due to privacy reasons.
