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Close to 48,000* Kiwis living overseas are enrolled to vote for this year’s election – a 35 percent increase on the same time before the 2005 election. 

The Electoral Enrolment Centre’s figures follow just released information from Statistics New Zealand showing the number of New Zealanders leaving for Australia in the past year has hit the highest levels since 2001 and a net outflow of 1,100 New Zealanders to England

“We have more people than ever before enrolled to vote at this time in the enrolment drive who are using an overseas postal address. At the start of enrolment drive 47,760 were enrolled with overseas postal addresses, compared with 35,650 at the same time in 2005,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager, Electoral Enrolment Centre.

“New Zealanders overseas might be out of sight, but for a large number of them New Zealand is certainly not “out of mind,” says Mr Wicks.  “Our enrolment drive currently underway targets these people, and all those overseas or going overseas who are eligible, to enrol and keep their enrolment details up-to-date.”

2008 enrolment figures show:

• Almost 47,800 (35,650 in 2005) – a 35 percent increase in people enrolled to vote with an overseas postal address.  This includes;
• Over 28,500 (22,000 in 2005) – a 30 percent increase in people enrolled to vote with an Australian postal address
• Over 8,600 (5,900 in 2005) – a 48 percent increase in people enrolled to vote with a postal address in England
• Close to 8,000 are aged 35 to 39 years, with around 6,240 aged 18 to 29 years.

In 2005 28,145 votes were cast from overseas.

• To be eligible to enrol you must:
• be 18 years or older, and
• have lived in New Zealand for more than one year continuously at some time in your life, 
• be a New Zealand citizen and have been in New Zealand within the last three years, or
• be a permanent resident of New Zealand and have been in New Zealand in the last 12 months.

“Enrol before you go overseas at www.elections.org.nz, or by freetexting your name and address to 3676, or getting a form at a PostShop or by calling 0800 36 76 56. Or update your details from overseas at www.elections.org.nz,” says Mr Wicks

 * People enrolled who have provided an overseas postal address. There are other people enrolled living overseas who have a New Zealand postal address.