Wellington: New Zealand’s government has taken a controversial step toward overhauling its electoral system, passing the first reading of a bill that eliminates same-day voter enrolment and revokes voting rights for all prisoners.
The proposed legislation would require citizens to register at least 13 days before election day, ending the current practice of enrolling and voting simultaneously during the advance voting period.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith stated the bill aims to reduce the administrative burden of ‘special votes’, which include those from voters who registered late, cast ballots from overseas, or voted outside their electorate.
These special votes accounted for over 600,000 ballots in the 2023 election and caused a delay in the official result announcement. Goldsmith argued that the reforms will help deliver election results faster and at a lower cost.
However, the proposed changes have sparked concern from legal experts, opposition MPs, and civil society groups.
Attorney General Judith Collins admitted that parts of the bill appear to conflict with the New Zealand Bill of Rights, particularly the right to vote and freedom of expression. Despite this, the government is moving forward with the legislation.
Critics argue that the reforms will make it harder for young, transient, or marginalised voters to participate. Over 97,000 people enrolled during the voting period in 2023, all of whom would be unable to vote under the proposed rules.
Additionally, all prisoners, regardless of sentence length, would once again lose the right to vote, reversing a 2020 court-backed change. The bill will undergo further readings and is expected to face intense debate in the coming months.
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