50,000 voters lose the right to vote
About 50,000 New Zealanders need to get back on the electoral roll because their enrolment update pack has bounced back marked ‘gone no address’.
The Electoral Enrolment Centre mailed enrolment update packs to everyone on the electoral roll at the end of May, to let them know that the election is on its way, and to ask them to check their enrolment details.
“If you are one of the 50,000 or so voters whose pack has been returned to us because you’ve moved house and not updated your enrolment details, you have been removed from the electoral roll,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager, Electoral Enrolment Centre.
Wellington Central has had the most voters removed from the roll, while Taranaki-King Country has had the least.
“If you didn’t get an enrolment update pack, you need to enrol so you can have your say in this year’s General Election and Referendum on the Voting System,” says Mr Wicks.
“Enrolling is easy. Voters can freetext their name and address to 3676, get a form from a PostShop or call Freephone 0800 36 76 56. People can also enrol or update their details online at www.elections.org.nz,” he says.
Christchurch electorates have not been included in the national total of 49,966 people removed from the roll. “The earthquakes have caused a change in so many people’s circumstances, and we are very sensitive to this. To ensure that displaced Canterbury voters have their say this year, we are not automatically removing anyone’s name from the roll whose enrolment update pack has been returned undeliverable until we have attempted to locate them. We will not be removing Cantabrians from the roll until all avenues to contact them have been exhausted,” says Mr Wicks.
More information about enrolling and voting is available at www.elections.org.nz.
ENDS - statistics by electorate follow
Voters Removed from the Electoral Roll
-
Electorate
2011
01 Auckland Central
1,378
02 Bay of Plenty
694
03 Botany
490
04 Christchurch Central
not yet available
05 Christchurch East
not yet available
06 Clutha-Southland
618
07 Coromandel
571
08 Dunedin North
1,381
09 Dunedin South
613
10 East Coast
645
11 East Coast Bays
684
12 Epsom
1,059
13 Hamilton East
1,137
14 Hamilton West
958
15 Helensville
740
16 Hunua
668
17 Hutt South
703
18 Ilam
not yet available
19 Invercargill
691
20 Kaikoura
625
21 Mana
500
22 Māngere
603
23 Manukau East
786
24 Manurewa
656
25 Maungakiekie
982
26 Mt Albert
990
27 Mt Roskill
756
28 Napier
683
29 Nelson
871
30 New Lynn
689
31 New Plymouth
735
32 North Shore
823
33 Northcote
903
34 Northland
604
35 Ohariu
672
36 Otaki
614
37 Pakuranga
693
38 Palmerston North
993
39 Papakura
691
40 Port Hills
not yet available
41 Rangitata
679
42 Rangitkei
597
43 Rimutaka
728
44 Rodney
689
45 Rongotai
951
46 Rotorua
732
47 Selwyn
not yet available
48 Tāmaki
778
49 Taranaki-King Country
455
50 Taupo
672
51 Tauranga
923
52 Te Atatu
789
53 Tukituki
590
54 Waikato
487
55 Waimakariri
not yet available
56 Wairarapa
516
57 Waitakere
711
58 Waitaki
624
59 Wellington Central
1,687
60 West Coast-Tasman
539
61 Whanganui
596
62 Whangarei
665
63 Wigram
not yet available
64 Hauraki-Waikato
1,200
65 Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
960
66 Tāmaki Makaurau
1,034
67 Te Tai Hauāuru
1,124
68 Te Tai Tokerau
1,040
69 Te Tai Tonga
1,320
70 Waiariki
981