Did you get your voting papers for the flag referendum?
Voting papers for the first referendum on the New Zealand flag have now been posted to voters, and replacement voting papers are available for eligible voters who need them.
“If you are on the electoral roll and do not receive your voting paper by Friday 27 November, you should contact us for a replacement paper,” says Robert Peden, Chief Electoral Officer. “You can also request a replacement paper if you spoil, destroy or lose your original.”
“You can request replacement papers at www.elections.govt.nz. For more information about replacement papers, please call 0800 36 76 56 (from within New Zealand) or +64 9 909 4182 (from overseas),” says Mr Peden.
“When completing your voting paper, give a 1 to the flag you prefer most, a 2 to the flag you prefer next, and so on,” says Mr Peden. “Remember you can rank as many or as few flag options as you wish, but you shouldn’t skip a number or use the same number more than once.”
In this referendum, voters are choosing which of five flag alternatives will go to a second referendum in March next year. In the second referendum, voters will be choosing between the current New Zealand flag and the most preferred alternative from the first referendum.
Only people who were correctly enrolled by 19 November 2015 are eligible to vote in the referendum.
Voting closes on 11 December, and voters should post their voting papers back no later than Tuesday 8 December for them to arrive in time.
More information about voting in the referendum is available at 0800 36 76 56 and at www.elections.org.nz/flag.