Voting is not compulsory in New Zealand but, if you are eligible to vote, you are required to enrol as an elector. To enrol to vote you must be a permanent resident and at least 18 years old. You also need to have lived here on a continuous basis for a year and have resided in your electorate for at least one month.
Electoral records are maintained by the Registrar of Electors and are updated twice every three years. However, if you change your address it is advisable to advise the Registrar directly. Both enrolment and address changes can be arranged through New Zealand Post Shops. If there are special reasons why your name and address should not be published in the Electoral Roll, they can be registered on the unpublished roll.
