This article was first published on RNZ.
Thousands of voters have taken advantage of a law change allowing Māori voters to switch between the general and Māori electoral roll more frequently.
Before 2023, the switch was restricted to once every 5-6 years, but it can now be done anytime, except in the three months before an election.
Latest Electoral Commission figures show, since April 2023, almost 31,000 voters have switched to the Māori roll and more than 25,000 first-time voters have gone for the Māori electoral option.
Fewer are moving the other way. Just over 20,000 voters of Māori descent changed to the general roll, with about 17,000 new voters picking that option.
Commission chief Māori advisor Hone Matthews said more than 44,000 voters would be eligible to participate in the upcoming Tamaki Makaurau by-election.
“Although a date hasn’t been set yet, the government has put a by-election on notice, so the rolls have been frozen, but more than 40,000 people are eligible to cast a vote and a high proportion - around 40 percent - could be classified as rangatahi.”
Matthews said the law change removed a barrier for Māori voters and engagement, which had led to a boost in engagement on and offshore.
“We’ve continued to see steady growth across all the Māori electorates and, according to our numbers at the moment, the two with the biggest jump are Te Tai Tonga and Te Tai Hauāuru,”
Since the law change, the number of eligible voters living overseas and registering to vote across all Māori electorates had almost doubled.
Matthews said continuing to engage effectively with Maori communities was a vital priority to maintaining the momentum of voters participating in the electoral process.
“We try to engage with Māori voters, using every source and every network available to get as much accurate and clear information as possible out to our communities, because the system, as a whole, can be extremely confusing, if the right guidance and support isn’t available.”
The commission hopes to continue encouraging Māori engagement in the electoral process, highlighting the potential impact the growing Māori population could have on future elections.
“Your roll choice may also influence the number of Māori electorates,” Matthews said. “The number of people enrolled on the Māori roll could mean that the number of Māori electorates increases, decreases or stays the same for the 2026 General Election.”
By RNZ.
