Advance voting starts on Monday

Advance voting for the general election opens this Monday September 11. Photo/File

Advance voting locations for this year's general election open on Monday and will go through until election day on Saturday September 23.

There are 485 advance voting places around the country, up from 295 in 2014. Opening hours vary between voting places to suit local needs.

The advance voting locations in Rotorua are at Rotorua Central Mall, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Mokoia Community Hall, and the Ngongotaha Community Hall.

Not all these locations are open at the same time. A full list of advance voting places with open dates and time are available here.

The first EasyVote packs will start arriving in voters' letter boxes from today, with 3.16 million to be delivered over the next week.

EasyVote packs are being sent to all voters who were enrolled before August 23 and include a personalised EasyVote card which makes voting quicker.

Chief electoral officer Alicia Wright said there had been a big increase in advance voting over the past two elections.

"This election we are providing even more voting places in convenient locations where people can cast an early vote. People will also be able to enrol, check or update their enrolment details at any advance voting place - so they'll be able to enrol and vote at the same time.

"Advance voting places are located where people live, work, study and shop, including universities and shopping malls, and many of them are open after hours and at weekends," she said.

Most advance voting places are fully accessible or accessible with assistance for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.

There are also special arrangements in place for some voters including mobile advance voting services in some rural areas including Northland, Gisborne, Kaikoura and the West Coast of the South Island.

Electoral Commission teams are visiting hospitals, rest homes and remand centres to collect votes and there is a dictation voting service for blind and low-vision voters

Voters can also phone 0800 36 76 56 to find out where their closest voting place is.

Voting from overseas began on Wednesday September 6. People who are overseas during the voting period can download voting papers from www.elections.org.nz, vote in person at overseas posts in many countries, or vote by post.

More information can be found at www.elections.org.nz/overseas