Advance voting in New Zealand crosses nine lakh votes before the general election

2 November 2026

New Zealand's Electoral Commission said 913,762 advance votes were cast between 26 October and 1 November, ahead of the general election on 7 November.
That is a 28 per cent increase over the same period in the 2023 election.
Saturday was the busiest day, with more than 190,000 votes issued.
About 600 voting places are open each day this week, and the number rises to more than 2,300 on election day.
Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said voting had got off to a good start and that six more days of voting remained.
New rules introduced by the government ended enrolment 13 days before the election.
Critics argue the earlier cut-off could discourage participation.