Preliminary referendum results released
The Electoral Commission has released the preliminary results of the end of life choice and cannabis legalisation and control referendums.
The preliminary results are based on the count of ordinary votes cast in advance and on election day and do not include special declaration votes.
Voters were asked, Do you support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force?
| Preliminary results of the end of life choice referendum | ||
| Votes counted | % of votes | |
| Yes, I support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force | 1,574,645 | 65.2% |
| No, I do not support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force | 815,829 | 33.8% |
| Informal votes | 25,073 | 1.0% |
| Total votes counted so far | 2,415,547 | 100% |
Voters were also asked, Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?
| Preliminary results of the cannabis legalisation and control referendum | ||
| Votes counted | % of votes | |
| Yes, I support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill | 1,114,485 | 46.1% |
| No, I do not support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill | 1,281,818 | 53.1% |
| Informal votes | 19,244 | 0.8% |
| Total votes counted so far | 2,415,547 | 100% |
Voters could choose to vote in one referendum, both or neither. Informal votes are those where voting papers are either not marked or the voter’s intention is not clear.
The official referendum results, which will include special votes, will be released with the official results of the 2020 General Election on Friday 6 November. On election night, the number of special votes was estimated to be 480,000 (17% of total votes).
The preliminary results are available online at https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020_preliminary/referendums-results.html