Campaigners offering free food, drinks or music within 100 metres of a voting place could be breaking electoral rules as advance voting for the November 7 election gets underway.
The Electoral Commission's rules ban free food, drink other than water, and entertainment near voting place entrances during voting hours, unless it comes from a business that provides those things in its ordinary course of trade.
Advance voting opens today, Labour Day, and runs right up to election day. Enrolment closed at midnight on Sunday, so voters can no longer enrol or update their details. Anyone who enrolled after Writ Day on October 4 will need to cast a special vote.
Follow today's election campaign developments live here
Where to vote
Chief electoral officer Karl Le Quesne said voters could find their nearest voting place on vote.nz or at their local supermarket.
“During advance voting, look out for a list of your nearest voting places at your local supermarket as this is a really easy way to find out where to vote in your community.”
Opening days and hours vary during advance voting, so the commission is urging people to check before they go.
More than 2300 voting places will open on election day, in community halls, schools, shopping malls, places of worship, tertiary campuses and marae. They include more than 220 Whare Pōti Māori voting places, 67 of which are bilingual, letting voters go through the process in te reo Māori or English.
There are 1679 fully accessible voting places, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters at six locations, and three voting places with quiet times.
Rules at the door
Campaigning is allowed during advance voting, but not inside voting places or within 10 metres of their entrances. Campaign material, election-related demonstrations and megaphones are banned in that zone.
“Don’t influence voters or tell them to vote or not vote for a candidate or party.”
Supporters can wear party lapel badges or rosettes, provided they show no candidate’s name and carry a promoter statement. Party colours are allowed on people or vehicles.
Polling voters about how they voted is banned anywhere during the advance period. The commission does not actively monitor buffer zones but said “we’ll respond to complaints”.
Inside the voting place
The commission is asking voters not to film or take photos inside voting places, and to leave straight after voting. Publishing images of someone filling in their voting paper is a potential offence.
Disruptive people will be told to leave as a last resort. Refusing to go is an offence and may be referred to police.
Staff will be wearing orange vests, and the commission recommends bringing an EasyVote card to speed things up. Many staff are working an election for the first time, and the commission has asked voters to be patient with any delays.
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