Note to readers

Blind Citizens NZ has continued our engagement with the Electoral Commission to assist ensure all elements of the General Election are accessible to blind, deafblind, low vision and vision-impaired people. Our advocacy has included direct engagement with the Electoral Commission, collaboration through the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) Coalition, and more recently joint work with Blind Low Vision NZ. We are pleased to publish the following information provided by the Electoral Commission.

Introduction

The Electoral Commission is encouraging New Zealanders to enrol early this election.

The 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November, with advance voting starting on Monday 26 October.

You need to enrol or update your enrolment details before voting starts. This is by midnight, Sunday 25 October.

You won’t be able to enrol at a voting place. This is different to the last two elections when you could enrol and vote at the same time.

Enrol early

If you enrol or update your details by 4 October, your name will be on the printed electoral roll and you will receive an EasyVote card.

If your email address is in your enrolment record, you’ll receive the card by email. If your email is not in your enrolment record or you’re on the unpublished roll, it will be sent by post. The EasyVote card won’t be sent by text.

When you’re ready to vote, take your EasyVote card with you to the voting place to make the voting faster and easier.

However, you don’t need an EasyVote card to vote.

You can still enrol and update your details after that date, before enrolment closes on 25 October, but you will need to make a special vote, which takes longer.

More information on how to use your EasyVote card will be sent in the letter or email with your card.

Where to go to enrol

Enrol, check or update your details online at vote.nz or call freephone 0800 36 76 56 and talk to our team.

You can also text your name and address to 3676 and the team will send you an enrolment form.

Telephone dictation service

If you’re eligible to vote in the 2026 General Election and are blind, partially blind, or have a physical disability that means you cannot mark your voting paper without assistance, you can register for the telephone dictation service.

You can vote using this service if you live in New Zealand or if you are overseas.

You can register to vote by telephone dictation from Monday 5 October by calling:

• 0800 028 028 from within New Zealand; or
• +64 4 471 2000 from overseas (international calling rates may apply).

When you call you will need to select option 1 to register.

Registrations close at 12pm, Saturday 7 November (NZ time).

You can visit Telephone dictation service | vote.nz or this link https://tinyurl.com/3dstyscn for more information about this service.

Election Access Fund

The Election Access Fund Te Tomokanga — Pūtea Whakatapoko Pōtitanga is available to support disabled candidates in the 2026 General Election.

The Fund covers costs for things such as assistive technology and hiring support to participate as a candidate.

The Fund is now open for applications for the 2026 General Election.

Take your point of view to more places and find out more about the Election Access Fund at
Election Access Fund | elections.nz or take this link
https://tinyurl.com/yvxy29zzAccessible resources available for the 2026 General Election

The Commission has a range of resources.

Information in accessible formats on enrolling and voting in the 2026 General Election can be found on
Information in accessible formats | vote.nz or this link
https://tinyurl.com/yuhnzn74

Enrolment information is available in English, te reo Māori and 29 other languages:
Enrolment information in multiple languages | vote.nz or this link https://tinyurl.com/3pvhxa28