Vote 2020: Election date rescheduled as campaigning on hold in Waikato

The two referendums have also been delayed with the postponement of the election. Photo / Bevan Conley

With the latest outbreak of Covid-19 forcing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to push back the election date by four weeks, campaigning has temporarily been put on hold across the Waikato as MPs and candidates wait for the outbreak to be contained.

On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the election and the two referendums would be pushed back from September 19 to October 17.

And while the Electoral Commission said voting could safely happen under alert level 2, Ardern said she also had to factor in participation of voters, fairness and certainty.

Under normal circumstances, the election date rests solely on the Prime Minister but Ardern said in her press conference moving the election was a significant decision so she consulted other political leaders.

Last week the campaign trail for several parties was put on hold, with Act leader David Seymour and Greens Party co-leader James Shaw both suspending events in Morrinsville and Hamilton.

Hamilton's National Party MPs were set to meet with Hamilton's Grey Power on Monday at the second meet the candidate meeting, however that meeting was also called off, with a Winston Peters visit in September also in doubt.

The two referendums set to be held on September 19 have also been pushed back to October 17, with the public set to decide on 'the end of life choice act' and the cannabis legislation and control referendum.

The cannabis legislation sets out a way for the Government to control and regulate cannabis. This regulatory model covers how people can produce, supply, or consume cannabis.

The bill's main purpose is to reduce cannabis-related harm to individuals, families/whānau and communities.

The bill would still need to be passed by the next Government if over 50 per cent of voters vote 'Yes.'

The act gives people with a terminal illness the option of requesting assisted dying.

Parliament passed the End of Life Choice Act, but it has not come into force. The act will only come into force if more than 50 per cent of voters in the referendum vote 'Yes'.

More information on the two referendums can be found at https://www.referendums.govt.nz/