Te Tai Tonga, Tāmaki Makaurau lead changes to Māori electoral roll

The Electoral Commission has released the final figures for the 2023 Māori Electoral Option, the four-month period in which Māori were able to switch between the Māori and general rolls.

Between March 31 and midnight July 13, nearly 40,000 voters of Māori descent changed rolls, enrolled for the first time or updated their details.

Te Tai Tonga, covering the South Island, and Tāmaki Makaurau, covering the Auckland region, were the places where most Māori switched from the general roll to the Māori roll.

“We’re now in that three-month period when you can’t change between the Māori and general rolls before the election,” said chief electoral officer Karl Le Quesne.

READ MORE:
* Nearly 6400 voters go to Māori roll, how are things looking toward election time?
* Review of Māori Electoral Option needs wider focus, says Māori politics expert
* Māori King Tūheitia brings ‘kotahitanga’ to High Court at Auckland

“If you’re Māori and enrolled to vote, the roll you’re on now is the roll you will be on for the 2023 General Election on 14 October. You’ll be able to change rolls again after the election.”

A total of 14,587 people changed roll types – 8109 from the general roll to the Māori roll, and 6478 from the Māori roll to the general roll.

There were 2133 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 1108 new enrolments on the general roll, and another 22,136 voters of Māori descent didn’t change rolls, but updated their details, for example their address.

While the law change will allow Māori voters to change rolls at more or less any time, there will be an exception preventing voters from switching rolls to vote in local by-elections, or in this case – three months before a general election.