Election enrolment change could leave homeless voters off the roll

Advocates fear changes to this year’s election enrolment rules could leave homeless New Zealanders off the electoral roll. 

Under the changes, voters must be enrolled with an address on October 25 – before voting starts the following day for the November 7 election. 

At the time of the 2023 Census, about 112,496 people (2.3% of the population) were experiencing severe housing deprivation or homelessness. 

Community advocates believe the number is likely much higher now. 

This means changes to enrolment rules could affect a large proportion of society. 

Moko Reuben, who lives at a makeshift encampment in Christchurch’s quake-abandoned residential Red Zone, said it’s hard enough to be homeless, let alone enrolling to vote. 

“Everybody has the right to vote and we need to make it easier,” Reuben said. 

New election rules could leave homeless people off the electoral roll. Photo / Anna Heath 

The Electoral Commission said people in temporary accommodation or with no fixed address can enrol and vote, using either the address where they spend much of their time or a previous residential address where they lived for at least a month – even if that was some time ago. 

They also need to give a postal address for electoral mail, such as enrolment confirmations or an EasyVote card. 

That can be a PO Box, or the address of a friend, family member, church or support group willing to hold mail for them. 

The commission’s director of strategic engagement and partnerships, Shane Whitfield, said teams have been working with service providers in contact with people experiencing homelessness to support them to enrol. 

“This has included providing educational sessions at shelters, foodbanks and other community-based services, support for enrolment drives within the community, providing resources such as brochures and enrolment forms, and being present during events run by service providers to answer questions and provide advice.” 

Christchurch City Missioner Corinne Haines said it was worrying a large group of people potentially weren’t voting, or even on the roll. 

“That means they become invisible to the system and if they’re invisible to the system, how can we help them and how can the Government understand the needs that are out there?” Haines said. 

She said encouraging transient community members to vote wasn’t easy. 

“We can tell them why they should vote, what it means to the country, but it’s very difficult to say you must do this because oftentimes they don’t really have a very big understanding of what the impact is.” 

The City Mission lets some people use its address and postal address for future correspondence. 

“It’s a little bit tricky sometimes because some people will be with us for a period of time and then will disappear off and on occasions, we may not get a forwarding address, but at the time we allow them to use us.” 

Reuben said most of the Bexley homeless community were enrolled and ready to vote. 

“We’ve managed to, somewhat, find a solution, thanks to a few services that have helped us out here.” 

That included a community meeting to ensure people got enrolled. 

Reuben said some parties, including Greens’ co-leader Marama Davidson, had visited, which he welcomed. 

“Them actually coming out and seeing us and asking our needs and asking what we want, not just assuming that, oh, you know, we need this, we need that.” 

Reuben said digital voting would be the best way to help the homeless community. 

“I believe that will cut a lot of problems. It’s easier to find an email address rather than a normal address.” 

Reuben also spoke of the importance of education, alongside a push for enrolments. 

“The problem is a lot of people don’t know what the voting system is about. 

“It’s about what colour you’re gonna vote for, you know, blue, red, green, yellow, black and white. 

“But what matters is the people that get voted in and do the mahi for our people, not for profit.” 

Rosie Leishman is a reporter and multimedia journalist based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2025, after experience working at the Bangkok Post in Thailand.