2026 is election year - aue! 

This is the year we vote for the people and parties who will represent us in Parliament and form our next government. Election Day is 7 November 2026 - so it’s not far away.

There’s a lot to say about this government, the changes happening, and the wider election kaupapa. It can feel confusing, overwhelming and hard to engage with. Over the next wee while, we are aiming to share more kōrero about why voting matters, how it all works, and what it all really means for us and our communities.

But for now, this is hopefully a simple, important pānui - especially for our Māori whānau.

First up - for this election you must be enrolled before voting starts.

Enrolments close on 25 October 2026.

If you’re not enrolled by then, you won’t be able to vote. This is a big change - you can no longer enrol and vote at the same time like in previous elections.

If you’ve moved, make sure your details are up to date. You can enrol or update online at vote.nz, or request a form by calling 0800 36 76 56 or texting your name and address to 3676.

For Māori voters, there’s another key date to know. If you whakapapa Māori, you can choose to be on either the Māori roll or the General roll.

The deadline to switch rolls is midnight, 6 August 2026. After that, you’re locked in until after the election.

The roll you choose affects your electorate vote - that’s the local MP you vote for - but it won’t affect your party vote.

• If you’re on the Māori roll, you vote in a Māori electorate.

• If you’re on the General roll, you vote in a general electorate.

To give a bit of context - more than 562,000 Māori are currently enrolled to vote, with just over half on the Māori roll.

The number of Māori electorates is directly linked to how many people choose that roll. Right now, there are seven Māori electorates for the 2026 election, alongside 64 general electorates.

What that means is simple - the more people on the Māori roll, the more Māori electorates there are, and the more Māori voices there are in Parliament.

At the moment, only about half of eligible Māori voters are on the Māori roll. If all eligible Māori chose that option, the number of Māori seats could almost double - to around 13 or 14.

There have also been other changes to this election -  including the ban on voting for prisoners serving sentences of more than 3 years has now been extended to include newly sentenced prisoners (for offences that happened after 20 December 2025). 

We have a lot of whakaaro on this and it is something we whole heartedly disagree with - voting should be a right not a privilege.

But for now, the key message is this:

• Make sure you’re enrolled

• Update your details if you’ve moved

• Decide which roll is right for you - Māori or general roll before 6 August

• Vote.nz has all the info

This election matters. Our voices, your voices matter.