- Hon Paul Goldsmith
The Government has passed legislation which helps ensure future elections are timely and efficient, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
"While the core principles guiding our elections endure, how they're delivered needs to adapt over time to keep up with changing trends, new challenges and new technologies.
"Late enrolments, for example, have placed too much strain on the system. The final vote count used to take two weeks, last election it took three. If we leave things as they are, it will likely take even longer.
"Therefore, this legislation closes enrolment before advance voting begins. People will need to make sure they enrol or update their enrolment details by midnight on the Sunday, before advance voting opens on the Monday morning.
"This is a significant, but necessary change, and New Zealanders have plenty of time to get organised and enrolled.
"Automatic enrolment updates will also now be allowed and postal requirements will be removed, helping to keep people contactable and participating in democracy.
"It will take a concerted effort to turn the ship around and address the trends of later enrolments and more special votes. However, I have every confidence in the Electoral Commission to deliver."
Changes included in the legislation are:
- Closing enrolment 13 days before election day to reduce pressure on post-election timeframes.
- Requiring 12 days of advance voting at each election.
- Introducing automatic enrolment updates so the Electoral Commission can update people's enrolment details using data from other government agencies.
- Enabling greater use of digital communication by removing postal requirements for enrolment.
- Creating a new offence that prohibits the provision of free food, drink or entertainment within 100 metres of a voting place while voting is taking place. It will be punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.
- Reinstating a prisoner voting ban for prisoners sentenced to less than three years for offences committed after the Bill takes effect, which extends the current ban for prisoners sentenced to more than three years.
- The donation threshold for reporting the names of party donors is also being adjusted from $5,000 to $6,000, to account for inflation.
The Bill makes a wide range of other changes including:
- Enabling special vote processing to begin earlier.
- Increasing the Electoral Commission's board from three to up to seven members.
- Setting a single deadline for all candidate nominations.
- Changing party registration requirements and timeframes.
- Providing flexibility on the contact details that can be included in promoter statements.
The Government is progressing a separate bill to amend the Constitution Act 1986 to ensure the continuity of executive government in the post-election period.
