Overseas voting begins this week. Explore the voting timetable, the two votes and what happens after election night.
Aotearoa New Zealand's general election is now less than three weeks away, and the first votes are about to be cast.
Election day is Saturday 7 November 2026, but some people will be able to vote before then.
Here's what you need to know.
## Voting begins on 21 October
Overseas voting starts on Wednesday 21 October.
Advance voting within Aotearoa New Zealand begins on Monday 26 October.
Voters do not have to wait until election day, although opening days and hours differ between voting places.
The final day to enrol or update enrolment details is Sunday 25 October.
## Enrolment rates differ by age
In its 18 October release, the Electoral Commission reported that 91.5% of the estimated eligible voting population was enrolled.
Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the estimated enrolment rate was 66.7%, up from 53.9% on 31 July.
These are estimated enrolment rates, not predictions of how many people will vote.
## Two votes, one Parliament
Aotearoa New Zealand uses a voting system called Mixed Member Proportional representation, or MMP.
Eligible voters receive two votes: a party vote and an electorate vote.
The party vote largely determines the proportion of seats qualifying parties receive. The electorate vote decides which candidate represents a particular area.
After election day, parties may need to negotiate with one another to form a government.
## What happens on election night?
Voting closes at 7pm on Saturday 7 November.
Preliminary results are published as votes are counted.
However, election-night results are not the final official results.
The official results are scheduled for Friday 27 November, after the complete counting process.
## Abby's question
If you could explain one thing about the election to somebody who had never voted before, what would it be?
And why do you think some age groups have much lower enrolment rates than others?
Follow the election: Visit the Abby's Labs Election 2026 learning world for explanations, interactive activities and election news.
Sources are linked below. The exact total enrolment figure and campaign reporting in the original draft are awaiting verification and are not included here.
Information correct as at 20 October 2026. Election updates are factual, educational and independent of political parties.