What time will polls be open?:
Polling places are open from 9am until 7pm today. The busiest time is between 9am and 11am.
Can I still enrol?:
No. Anyone who wanted to vote needed to have enrolled by midnight yesterday.
What happens if you vote but are not enrolled?:
It is likely that your vote won't count. After each election, special declaration votes are checked to make sure that the vote was cast by someone who was correctly enrolled.
If you have not enrolled, it is likely that your vote will be disallowed.
Where do I vote?:
If you can, go to one of the polling places listed in your EasyVote information pack or online at www.elections.org.nz, under your electorate.
There are about 65 polling places in Dunedin South, 56 in Dunedin North, 82 in Waitaki and 82 in the Clutha-Southland electorate.
If you vote out of your electorate you will have to make a special vote.
Why is the EasyVote card important?: The EasyVote card is designed to make voting easier and will show the issuing officer where your name appears on the printed electoral roll.
Make sure you take your EasyVote card with you when you go to the polling place.
If you were enrolled before October 8 this would have been sent out in the last couple of weeks. If not you would have been sent an EasyVote information pack with a letter from the Chief Electoral Officer, take this along.
People can still vote without their EasyVote card by giving their full name and address, but it will take longer.
What do I do at the polling place?:
• Give your EasyVote card or letter to the issuing officer. If you don't have an EasyVote card or letter you will need to tell the issuing officer your full name and address.
• The issuing officer will give you your ballot paper.
• Take your ballot paper to a private booth. On your ballot paper, place a tick by the name of the political party of your choice and a tick by the name of the candidate you would most like to represent your electorate.
• Make sure you have made a choice for both a candidate for your area and the party.
• Fold your voting paper and put it into the ballot box.
What do I do if I make a mistake on my ballot paper?:
Take the ballot paper to the issuing officer who will give you a replacement.
How are my votes counted?:
From 3pm on election day, votes cast before election day (advance votes for those who knew they would not be able to vote in their electorate today were taken from October 22) are counted. The results of advance votes will be announced on election night.
• At 7pm on election day, the polling places close and the votes cast on that day are counted.
When will I know the result of the election?:
The preliminary results for the election will be announced on election night. These results do not include any special votes that are cast in the election.
• The official count process starts on the Sunday after election day. The preliminary results are rechecked and special declaration votes are checked and counted.
• Preliminary results will be available progressively on election night.
• The Chief Electoral Officer's target is to have 50% of polling place results available by 10pm on election night and 100% of polling place results available by 11.30pm.
• The official result for the election will be announced once special declaration votes have been counted and checked two weeks after election day.
How and why can I cast a special vote?:
Anyone who is enrolled can cast a special declaration vote if:
• you are outside of your electorate on election day.
• you are ill or infirm and cannot get to a polling place.
• your name is not on the printed electoral roll and you believe it should be.
• you can satisfy the returning officer that going to a polling place would cause hardship or serious inconvenience.
• you are in hospital.
• your religion prevents you from voting on election day.
• you are overseas.
• you are on the unpublished roll.
When you go to a polling place, tell the issuing officer that you need to cast a special declaration vote.
You will need to complete a form indicating the reason you are casting a special declaration vote.
Hospital voting:
• Wherever possible, voting facilities will be provided for eligible voters who are in hospitals, maternity homes or rest homes up until election day.
• Mobile polling staff will visit on a date and time arranged with the hospital or rest-home.
- Source: www.elections.org.nz.
Polling facts
• Today, almost three million people get their chance to vote at about 2700 polling places throughout the country.
• Polling places have been located at convenient places in each community to help make voting accessible.
• The polling place expected to have the most voters is the Michael Fowler Centre, in Wellington.
• The northern-most polling place is Te Hapua School, in Te Hapua. The southern-most polling place is Halfmoon Bay School, on Stewart Island.
• You are welcome to go with friends and family when you vote. Sometimes this can be helpful for voters who have English as a second language.
• You have two votes. Your electoral vote is for the candidate you most want to represent your electorate. The party vote is for the political party you most want represented in Parliament. Tick only one for each.