Thousands of Māori voters have taken the opportunity to change electoral rolls.
More than 8000 moved to the Māori roll and 6000 switched to the general roll, including 2133 and 1108 new enrolments, respectively.
However, the Electoral Commission is confident more rangatahi Māori will turnout this election, following an 18% increase in youth who cast their vote in 2020.
Lizzie Evans, a Wellington rangatahi, is looking forward to casting her first vote.
"Co-governance is a very important issue; to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and also, the importance of having equal Māori and Pākehā representation and voice in our leadership structure," Evans said.
"The support needed for Māori in our education system and the way that a lot of the spaces in Pākehā stream schools — there's a lack of respect for our tikanga and culture. It can be very unwelcoming."
Māori youth political analyst Te Matahiapo Hynes said rangatahi Māori heading into the voting booth this year are looking for a party who will "support their survival".
"My reanga (generation) will be thinking about the cost of living. That's a big cost at the moment, that it's almost becoming unbearable."
More than 40,000 Māori between 18 and 25 did not cast their vote last election in 2020. Te Pāti Māori believe it could have earned them more seats in the Parliament chamber.
Twenty-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has thrown her hat in this year for Te Pāti Māori in Hauraki-Waikato. She's one of the youngest candidates to campaign and hopes this will inspire and draw more rangatahi voters into the political race.
Maipi-Clarke said statistics show 70% of Māori are all under the age of 40 and there is no one in Parliament that represents te ao Māori in the age bracket.
"I believe I am the youngest person in Aotearoa, who has come out of wharekura, that is able to make policy changes and decision making within a party. Ki ahau nei (to me) I bring many, well, the 70 per cent."
By Kataraina Anneff, Moana Makapelu Lee
SHARE ME