Voting places across New Zealand will be open from 9am to 7pm on Saturday 7 November, election day, the Electoral Commission says. Voting closes at 7pm, and any vote not cast by then will not count.
This year there is one big difference from the last two elections. You cannot enrol and vote on the same day. Enrolment for the 2026 General Election closed at midnight on Sunday 25 October, and the Electoral Commission says you will not be able to enrol at a voting place during the election period, including on election day. If you are not on the roll when you arrive, you will not be able to vote.
The change came in through the Electoral Amendment Act 2025, which set the enrolment deadline at 13 days before polling day. Parliament's select committee report on the bill said the earlier cut-off was meant to let enrolment processing finish before election day so the count, including special votes, can start sooner.
Plenty of people have already voted
Many voters did not wait for Saturday. RNZ reported on 2 November that Electoral Commission data showed 913,762 people had voted as of 1 November, about 24 percent of those enrolled. At the same point in 2023, 712,192 people had voted, just under a fifth of the roll. The figure is still well below 2020, when 1.16 million people had voted at that stage.
Advance voting started on Monday 26 October and runs right up to election day, so you can still vote early this week if Saturday doesn't suit.
Where can you vote?
You can vote at any voting place in New Zealand, the Electoral Commission says. You don't have to go to the one closest to home.
Not every voting place is open every day. Some are only open before election day and some only open on the day itself. If you plan to vote before Saturday, check the hours of the place you want to use first. On election day, every voting place keeps the same 9am to 7pm hours.
To find one:
- Use the map at vote.nz. Type in your address and click the pins near you. You can filter by date and by accessibility.
- Call the Electoral Commission on 0800 36 76 56.
Voting is quicker in the area where you live. If you're away from home, you can vote at the nearest voting place, but if you vote outside your electorate you will cast a special vote, which involves filling in a declaration form, according to Citizens Advice Bureau.
What should you bring?
Take your EasyVote card if you have one. It has your details and makes it faster for staff to find you on the roll. If it came by email, you can show it on your phone, print it, or take a screenshot before you go.
People who enrolled by Sunday 4 October were sent an EasyVote card. If you enrolled after that but before the 25 October deadline, you won't have one, and that's fine.
You can still vote without the card. You don't need ID. Staff will ask for your name and address and look you up on the roll, which may take a little longer.
What happens inside
When you arrive, staff will show you where to go. Hand over your EasyVote card, or give your name and address. You'll be given a voting paper and directed to a screen where you vote in private.
Moved house since you enrolled?
If you are enrolled at an old address, you can still vote, the Electoral Commission says, but you may need to make a special vote. If your new address is in a different electorate, only your party vote will count.
If you can't get to a voting place
You can authorise someone to collect voting papers for you. The Electoral Commission has a form on its website, or you can write the authorisation by hand. It needs your full name, contact phone number, the address you're enrolled at, whether you think you're on the general or Māori roll, and a statement authorising the person to collect your papers. The completed papers include a special vote declaration that needs to be witnessed, and they must be back at a voting place before voting closes at 7pm on Saturday.
People who are blind, partially blind or have a physical disability that stops them marking a voting paper can use the telephone dictation service. Registration closes at noon on election day, and voting through the service closes at 7pm.
Not sure if you're enrolled?
If you're unsure whether you're on the roll, or have a question about your eligibility, the Electoral Commission asks people to call 0800 36 76 56 before heading out. Staff at voting places can explain the rules, but the Commission points out the enrolment deadline is set by law, not by the staff.
