Enrolling to vote offline – Enrolment Hubs

Not yet enrolled to vote? Look no further! Blind Low Vision NZ has partnered with the Electoral Commission to set up enrolment hubs in some of our offices over the next few weeks.

If you’ve got either a driver’s license, a passport, or a RealMe ID, you can enrol or update your details online.

However, if you don’t, you’ll have to sign a paper form and get it back to the Electoral Commission. These hubs will make that process easier.

Here’s where and when you can find the enrolment hubs:

Cities are listed in alphabetical order.

• Christchurch: Thursday 1st October 10am – 2pm
• Dunedin: Wednesday 7th October 10am – 2pm
• Gisborne: Tuesday 6th October 11am – 2pm
• Hamilton: Wednesday 7th October, 10am – 3pm
• Nelson: Tuesday 6th and Thursday 8th October 10am – 1pm
• New Plymouth: Friday 2nd October 10am – 12pm
• Palmerston North: Wednesday 14th October 10am – 2pm
• Wellington: Tuesday 13th October 10am – 3pm

Find your local office’s address on our website.

Don’t see your local office here, or can’t make that day? The Electoral Commission have enrolment hubs set up around the country. Check out the full list of enrolment hubs in the community.

Other options for enrolment

Enrol, check or update your details online or call freephone 0800 36 76 56 and talk to the Electoral Commission team.

You can also text your name and address to 3676 and the team will send you an enrolment form.

What’s different in this year’s election

You won’t be able to enrol at a voting place. This is different to the last two elections when you could enrol and vote at the same time. You must be enrolled to vote by Sunday 25 October.

The Electoral Commission is encouraging New Zealanders to enrol early this election, by Sunday 4 October. If you enrol or update your details by this date, your name will be on the printed electoral roll and you will receive an EasyVote card.

If your email address is in your enrolment record, you’ll receive the card by email. If your email is not in your enrolment record or you’re on the unpublished roll, it will be sent by post. The EasyVote card won’t be sent by text.

However, you don’t need an EasyVote card to vote.

You can still enrol and update your details after that date, up until Sunday 25 October, but having an EasyVote card may speed up the process when casting your vote.

The 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November, with advance voting starting on Monday 26 October.

Telephone dictation service

If you’re eligible to vote in the 2026 General Election and are blind, have low vision, or have a physical disability that means you cannot mark your voting paper without assistance, you can register for the telephone dictation service.

You can vote using this service if you live in New Zealand or if you are overseas.

You can register to vote by telephone dictation from Monday 5 October by calling:

• 0800 028 028 from within New Zealand or
• +64 4 471 2000 from overseas (international calling rates may apply).

When you call you will need to select option 1 to register.

Registrations close at 12pm, Saturday 7 November (NZ time).

Visit Telephone dictation service to find out more information about this service.

Accessible resources available for the 2026 General Election

The Commission has a range of resources that you can share with your community, including at your workplace, community centre, church, school or on your local noticeboard.

Information in accessible formats on enrolling and voting in the 2026 General Election can be found on their website.

Enrolment information is available in English, Te Reo Māori and 29 other languages.

You can also find posters, social tiles and more.

More resources will be added to The Electoral Commission website as the election gets closer.