Major electoral law overhaul includes ending same-day enrolment, clarity on treats for voters
The Government is making a “significant, but necessary change” to New Zealand’s electoral laws to address “strain on the system”.
Among the changes being proposed is stopping same-day enrolment for voters in a general election. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said allowing late enrolments was “well intentioned” but had placed pressure on the system.
Also being dealt to is offering treats to voters. A new offence will be created prohibiting the provision of free food, drink and entertainment within 100 metres of a voting place while voting is occurring. Offenders could be punished with a fine of up to $10,000.
“There has been some confusion in the past around what is and isn’t ‘treating’. This will make the rules crystal clear,” Goldsmith said.
The list of key changes includes:
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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 100m of a voting place while voting is taking place. It will be punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.
Reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting.
“The donation threshold for reporting the names of party donors is also being adjusted from $5000 to $6000, to account for inflation.”
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Goldsmith said late enrolments had “placed too much strain on the system”.
“The final vote count used to take two weeks, last election it took three,” he said.
“If we leave things as they are, it could well take even longer in future elections. The 20-day timeframe for a final result will likely already be challenging to achieve at the next election without changes.
“Therefore, the Government has agreed to close 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 Monday morning.
“This is a significant, but necessary change. The Electoral Commission will have plenty of time to run an education campaign to ensure people understand the new requirements.
“For Australia’s federal election earlier this year, the enrolment deadline was 26 days before election day. I have every confidence New Zealand can manage within the 13-day deadline.”
Act justice spokesman Todd Stephenson welcomed the reforms, saying it was “outrageous” that someone “completely disengaged and lazy can rock up to the voting booth, get registered there and then, and then vote to tax other people’s money away”.
“People who want to pull the levers of democracy ought to get organised, look at the policies, and register well in advance,” he said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins called it “draconian”.
“Preventing people from enrolling to vote during advance voting is a draconian measure that could rob tens of thousands of Kiwis of their democratic right to vote, and there is no good reason for it. It’s anti-democratic.”
The Greens’ spokeswoman for democracy and electoral reform, Celia Wade Brown, said the Government was “weakening our democracy”.
“What we do with our democracy matters; who we shut out and who we afford special privileges shapes the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country is taken in.”
The Herald reported last year that the Government was looking to overturn the 2020 decision to allow same-day enrolment after a report from the Auditor-General exposed a series of problems with counting votes at the most recent election.
The report noted that none of the problems found with the most recent election would have changed the national result or the result in any individual electorate.
The report did not recommend changing the Electoral Act to prohibit election-day enrolments, but it found that the 2020 change had put immense pressure on the Electoral Commission because same-day enrolments must be counted as special votes, meaning they take 10 times longer to process than ordinary votes.
Hipkins said at the time that the changes should be kept, given that 100,000 people took up the opportunity to enrol on election day.
“I think in a fiscally constrained time, and particularly where there are so many issues that are being hotly contested, it’s important that we ensure that everybody has the right to vote and that everybody’s vote gets counted. The Government’s simply saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to cancel 100,000 people’s votes.’ That’s not democratic,” Hipkins said.
Other changes being made, according to Goldsmith, include allowing special vote processing earlier, increasing the number of members on the Electoral Commission board, and setting a single deadline for candidate nominations.
“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,” a statement said.
This will address an issue where ministers may remain in office after an election for 28 days while the final count is completed. However, if there is a delay to the election results (for example, due to a recount), then the 28 days can expire before new MPs are appointed. This happened at the 2023 election.
The bill will allow for ministers to remain in office until all successful electorate and list MPs have been declared.
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Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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The best board games to play (and gift) this summer
Over the holiday period, the right game can make all the difference. So which board games should you try out – and which ones should you gift?
1. Sushi Go Party
This colourful, fast-paced game has great art, and a "menu" that can be changed depending on the number of players (up to eight) and their familiarity with the game.
Players win the game by creating the best combination of cards, depending on what's available, by rotating the cards from player to player like a sushi train. It's easy to learn and relatively cheap.
2. Wavelength
In this party game, teams have to try and guess the location of a hidden target on a spectrum, using a clue from one "psychic" team member. The ends of the spectrum reflect two binaries, such as hot–cold or optional–mandatory, and the target falls somewhere in between.
The closer the team gets to where the psychic thinks the target should go, the more points they score. Wavelength is one of those games where no matter if your team gets it right or wrong, you can expect people to give their two cents.
3. Mysterium and Mysterium Park
In these team games, players play mediums seeking the counsel of another player – a ghost – who gives them clues to important information about murders in the house, including the ghost’s own murder.
The ghost offers the other players tarot cards with abstract artwork with which they must attempt to discern the murder weapon, location and culprit.
4. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
This game sees players take the role of potion makers at the local fair, who must push their luck by drawing ingredients out of a bag to make the best potions without them blowing up in their face. It’s simple to teach and hilarious when someone else blows up their cauldron (although arguably less when it’s you).
5. Modern Art
This is one of the most celebrated games from board game designer luminary Reiner Knizia. Players are art dealers auctioning off beautiful paintings done by five professional artists. Players might even forget to play as they get caught up in simply admiring the pieces they are auctioning off.
Modern Art remains a fiendishly clever game that is easy to learn but hard to master.
6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
This strategic racing game is based on 1960s Formula 1 racing. The base game boasts four tracks on two gorgeous boards, and lovely little cars that pass each other and risk spinning out around corners.
7. Nemesis
By far the most expensive (and complicated) game on this list, Nemesis can best be described as Alien: the board game.
Players have to move through a spaceship, discovering rooms and items as they go, taking care not to alert the horrific extraterrestrials that have managed to get onto the ship – represented by amazingly designed pieces. It’s a truly tense and fun experience for a full afternoon.
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