New Zealand's Electoral Commission launched a campaign on Monday urging New Zealanders at home and abroad to register to vote or update their details in the system. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The commission warned that a legal change ahead of November's election means voters must be enrolled in advance.
Measures enacted by government lawmakers in December and lambasted by their opponents removed a policy allowing New Zealanders aged 18 and older to enroll on election day, including when they arrived at a polling place to cast their vote.
New Zealanders must now be registered and have their addresses and other details updated in the system 13 days before election day, or they will be turned away from polling places. This year's enrollment deadline is Oct. 25 ahead of the Nov. 7 election. They can begin voting from Oct. 26 in the country, or from Oct. 21 if they are overseas.
The country's center-right government, which is seeking a second term in power, introduced the enrollment cut-off in a suite of changes to electoral law, which also included a ban on prisoners voting and approval for larger anonymous political donations.
Governing parties said the deadline to enroll was enacted to curb the increasing length of time taken to reach a final result after election day.
"The experience last time was by virtue of having on-the-day enrollment we ended up in a situation where the final result was delayed," government officials said.
According to the Electoral Commission, more than 3.5 million people are currently registered, but some have not yet registered. As part of the campaign, the commission is publishing advertisements on social media and in the media, urging the public to register.
For New Zealanders abroad, a special online platform is available where they can update their details and register to vote. The commission is paying special attention to voting by citizens abroad, trying to ensure their participation in the election.
Despite the new legislative changes, the Electoral Commission continues to work to ensure the right to vote for all citizens. The commission said it is ready to assist citizens even after the registration deadline.
The shortening of the registration deadline has caused political debate in the country. The opposition has criticized the government, calling the change a restriction of voters' rights. However, the government says the measure is aimed at improving the electoral process.
The election in New Zealand will take place on Nov. 7. Voter registration will close on Oct. 25. Citizens abroad can vote from Oct. 21.