The Electoral Commission is pleased to present its statutory report on the 2020 General Election and referendums.
At the front of the report we set out key election and referendum facts and figures at a glance. A summary of recommendations is available at pages 8 to 11.
- Part 1 covers the lead-up to the election, the services we provide and the changes we made for COVID-19. It also sets out lessons learned and recommendations relating to the resilience of the system to respond to emergencies.
- Part 2 outlines public information, education, and engagement activities.
- Part 3 highlights key features of the General Election and referendums, including enrolment and turnout information, the delivery of the referendums, and voter understanding and satisfaction.
- Part 4 focuses on the significant continued growth of advance voting and makes recommendations for legislative changes to improve advance voting services and recognise its importance in legislation.
- Part 5 sets out a number of areas in which changes are needed to modernise and improve services for future elections.
- Part 6 covers parties, candidates and compliance, with recommendations related to matters such as party registration, the broadcasting regime, campaign rules and enforcement.
- Part 7 addresses wider electoral issues for debate including the Māori Electoral Option, access to roll data, the voting age, and the MMP system.