More than 2,800 places to vote in election, including a Te Reo Māori venue

September 18, 2020
Voting sign (file picture).

There'll be close to 3,000 locations to cast a vote in the general election, the Electoral Commission has announced.

The commission has announced the locations ahead of the October 17 election, including one which will offer the process in Te Reo Māori.

Voting Services National Manager Graeme Astle says preparations are on track for voting from 3 – 17 October.

For the first time, there will be a bilingual voting place where election staff will be able to take people through the voting process in Te Reo Māori. It's in Huntly, Waikato at Te Wharekura O Rakaumanga.

Another new initiative is the pilot of a New Zealand Sign Language interpreting service for deaf voters at six voting places in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch.

The number of voting places has been increased this election, especially on the weekend before election day, as a measure to reduce queues amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

There will be more than 600 advance voting places, increasing to 1348 on Saturday 10 October and 829 on Sunday 11 October.

On election day, Saturday October 17, there will be at least 2,564 voting places. A small number of additional voting places are still being finalised.

Astle says recruitment for election workers is going to plan.

“Most of the people who were appointed to work at the election have been able to accommodate the change in date and we are close to filling all 25,000 vacancies,” he says. 

There are other ways people can vote if they cannot go to a voting place, including postal voting. For more information go to www.vote.nz/covid-19 or call 0800 36 76 56.

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