A voter goes to any voting place, gives their name and address, and is issued one ballot paper. They take it behind a cardboard screen, tick one circle for a party and one for a local candidate, fold the paper, and put it in the ballot box. Nobody sees the ticks. It usually takes a few minutes.
A voter goes to any voting place, gives their name and address, and is issued one ballot paper. They take it behind a cardboard screen, tick one circle for a party and one for a local candidate, fold the paper, and put it in the ballot box. Nobody sees the ticks. It usually takes a few minutes.
Any voting place will do, not just the closest one.
You are given one paper with both votes on it.
You mark it privately behind a screen.
You fold it and post it into the box yourself.
The process is deliberately simple and identical everywhere, so nobody is confused or treated differently.
Find any voting place. There is an official finder on the Vote NZ website.
Tell the person at the desk your name and address.
Take the ballot paper to the screen.
Tick one party and one candidate.
Fold the paper and put it in the box.
If someone makes a mistake on their paper, they can ask for a new one before it goes in the box. If a voter needs help, for example because of a disability or a language barrier, they can bring someone or ask an official to assist.
Abby's Labs explains the process. For voting places, enrolment and anything you need to actually do, use the Electoral Commission's own website, linked below.
Do I need ID?
You give your name and address. Check Vote NZ for the current requirements before you go.
Why cardboard screens?
So your vote stays secret. Secrecy protects people from being pressured.