2026 is an important year for Aotearoa, New Zealand. That’s right, 2026 is an election year!
On Saturday, 7 November 2026, Kiwis will head to the polls to vote for the party they want to lead the country for the next three years.
This election comes with a small but important change. Here’s everything you need to know about enroling in New Zealand’s election in 2026 so that you’re ready to cast your vote.
For the 2026 election, you’ll need to:
Before midnight Sunday, 25 October.
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Previously, New Zealanders could enrol or update their address right up to and even on election day. This year, that’s no longer the case.
While you can still vote early, you must already be enrolled before advanced voting begins on Monday, 26 October.
If you’ve moved house or are planning to move between now and when voting opens, you’ll need to update your address before advanced voting begins.
New Zealand voting law states that once you’ve lived at your new address for at least one month, you should vote in that electorate.
The easiest way to know if your electorate has changed is to update your address online: you’ll be asked to enter your old and new addresses, along with your move date. You don’t need to know your new electorate – the Electoral Commission will determine that based on the information you give them.
Yes! In New Zealand, everyone who is eligible to vote in a general election gets two votes:
Your local representative depends on where you live. So if you move from Auckland Central to the North Shore, the candidates you can vote for will now be different.
Want to learn about your options? Read our complete guide to understanding New Zealand politics, including a breakdown of the major political parties.
While this is a big change compared to past elections, it only takes five minutes to enrol to vote or to check your address. Here’s what to do:
If you’re not enrolled yet, you can do it online in about five minutes. You’ll just need some ID (a driver's licence, passport, or RealMe verified ID). Once you’re enrolled, you’re all set to vote when advance voting opens on Monday, 26 October.
To enrol to vote, visit the Electoral Commission here.
You don’t need an ID to enrol in New Zealand; however, you will need to fill out some paperwork to get on the electoral roll. You can complete an enrolment form online and request to have it emailed or posted to you for signing, or call 0800 36 76 56 to have a form sent.
Don’t have ID? Get started with your enrolment here.
If it’s been a while since you last voted, it’s worth doing a quick check of your details. The Electoral Commission sometimes moves people to the ‘dormant roll’ if they lose contact (for example, if you’ve moved overseas, haven’t voted or updated your details for several years).
If you turn 18 during advanced voting, you can enrol when you’re 17, and you’ll be automatically added to the roll when you turn 18. However, you still need to enrol before the enrolment deadline (25 October 2026).
Turning 18 during advanced voting? Enrol to vote once you’re 18 here.
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Moving house can affect which local candidate you’re able to vote for. If you’ve moved, it’s a good idea to update your address as soon as possible, as your electorate may have changed.
You can update your address details on the Electoral Commission website here.
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