Voting places for the 2026 General Election are confirmed, and there's a hard enrolment deadline Southland voters need to know about.
More than 2,300 voting places will be open across New Zealand on election day, Saturday November 7. Advance voting opens Monday October 26. In total, 2,638 different venues will operate at some point during the voting period.
This election brings a change that catches people out: you cannot enrol at a voting place on the day. You must be enrolled before voting begins.
"The absolute last day to enrol to vote in this election is 25 October and voting starts on 26 October," Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said.
The fastest way to enrol or update your address is online at vote.nz, using a New Zealand driver licence, passport or RealMe verified identity. If you need a paper form, call the Electoral Commission free on 0800 36 76 56 or text your name and address to 3676. If you're posting the form back, the Commission recommends getting it in the mail no later than Tuesday October 20 to make the deadline.
Voting places span the kinds of locations people already pass through — community halls, schools, shopping malls, places of worship, and tertiary education providers. Sixty-one voting places are in shopping malls and centres nationwide, and 10 are at supermarkets.
"Our voting places are in locations people go in their daily lives including community halls, schools, shopping malls, places of worship, tertiary education providers and marae," Le Quesne said.
For rural areas, the number of voting places in rural electorates is similar to 2023. Mobile voting services will travel to smaller and more remote communities during advance voting — all locations will be advertised in advance.
"It's important that every eligible New Zealander has the opportunity to vote. Whether you're in the heart of the city or in a rural area, we will have voting places across the country to make voting as easy as possible, including mobile voting services," Le Quesne said.
There are more than 220 dedicated Māori community voting places, including marae and other community spaces chosen for their significance to Māori voters. Sixty-seven of these are bilingual, where voters can go through the process in either Māori or English. Accessibility provisions include 1,679 fully accessible voting places, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters at six locations, and three voting places with quiet times.
Hours during advance voting vary by location, so check before you head out. You can find your nearest voting place at vote.nz/votingplaces, search by electorate and suburb on an interactive map, or look out for printed lists in supermarkets once advance voting opens.
"During advance voting, look out for a list of your nearest voting places at your local supermarket as this is a really easy way to find out where to vote in your community. People can also call us for free on 0800 36 76 56 and our team will be ready to help you find your nearest voting place," Le Quesne said.
Anyone who cannot get to a voting place at all has options. "Anyone who cannot make it to a voting place should also give us a call. We have alternative voting options available," Le Quesne said.
Key dates: enrolment deadline October 25, advance voting opens October 26, election day November 7. Voting localtions.