How to vote

Voting runs from 2 October to 7pm on election day, 14 October. You can vote in person across the country, by post, and from overseas.

Your votes

You get two votes – a party vote and an electorate vote.

Parliament is made up of 120 members who are elected as electorate and list MPs. In the parliament elected this year, there will be 72electorate seats that represent each electoral region across Aotearoa. The remaining 48 seats are called list seats and will be filled by candidates from political parties to ensure that parliament reflects the number of votes won by each party.

Who becomes the next government depends on which party, or group of parties, has the most seats in parliament.


Party vote

Your party vote is for the political party you want to be in parliament. You can vote for only one.

Any party that gets more than five percent of the party vote will be entitled to seats in parliament in proportion to the percentage of the party vote it receives.

If a party wins fewer electorate seats than the proportion of seats in parliament it is entitled to based on its party vote, the party will be allowed a number of list seats to achieve proportionate representation. These seats are filled from the party’s list MPs.

You can see parties’ lists on our party profiles.

If a party wins an electorate seat and wins a percentage of the party vote greater than that equivalent to one seat in parliament, that party will be allowed a number of list seats to achieve proportionate representation – even if they receive less than five percent of the party vote.


Electorate vote

Your electorate vote is for the candidate you’d like to be the member of parliament for the area you live in. You can vote for only one candidate.

The country is divided up into 72 electorates. Seven of those are Māori electorates and the rest are general. If you are Māori, you can choose between the Māori roll and the general roll when you enrol to vote.

You can see the candidates for your electorate on our candidates page.

The candidate with the most votes in your electorate will be elected as the member of parliament for that area.


Who can vote

People who are enrolled to vote can vote in the 2023 general election. You can enrol to vote or update your details online at the Vote.nz website.

To enrol to vote you need to be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, over the age of 18, and have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at least once in your lifetime.


When to vote

Voting starts on 2 October at advance voting locations. Election day – the last day of voting – is on 14 October.

On election day, voting places are open from 9am to 7pm.


Where to vote

Voting places are open across the country and you can vote at any voting place.

You can find voting places near you on the Electoral Commission’s website.

It’s easier to vote at a voting place in your local area, but you can vote at any voting place.


How to vote

Vote in person

You can vote in person at any voting place. You don’t need to take ID and you can even enrol at the voting place if you aren’t already enrolled to vote.


Vote remotely

If you can’t get to a voting place, there are various ways you might be able to vote remotely.

You can find information about what to do if you can't get to a voting place at the Vote.nz website.


Vote from overseas

You can vote from overseas by downloading and posting voting papers, by post, or at an overseas voting place.

Overseas voting opens on 27 September.

The criteria for overseas voting has changed since the 2020 election, you can find out more information about voting from overseas at the Vote.nz website.

How to vote

Voting runs from 2 October to 7pm on election day, 14 October. You can vote in person across the country, by post, and from overseas.

Your votes

You get two votes – a party vote and an electorate vote.

Parliament is made up of 120 members who are elected as electorate and list MPs. In the parliament elected this year, there will be 72electorate seats that represent each electoral region across Aotearoa. The remaining 48 seats are called list seats and will be filled by candidates from political parties to ensure that parliament reflects the number of votes won by each party.

Who becomes the next government depends on which party, or group of parties, has the most seats in parliament.


Party vote

Your party vote is for the political party you want to be in parliament. You can vote for only one.

Any party that gets more than five percent of the party vote will be entitled to seats in parliament in proportion to the percentage of the party vote it receives.

If a party wins fewer electorate seats than the proportion of seats in parliament it is entitled to based on its party vote, the party will be allowed a number of list seats to achieve proportionate representation. These seats are filled from the party’s list MPs.

You can see parties’ lists on our party profiles.

If a party wins an electorate seat and wins a percentage of the party vote greater than that equivalent to one seat in parliament, that party will be allowed a number of list seats to achieve proportionate representation – even if they receive less than five percent of the party vote.


Electorate vote

Your electorate vote is for the candidate you’d like to be the member of parliament for the area you live in. You can vote for only one candidate.

The country is divided up into 72 electorates. Seven of those are Māori electorates and the rest are general. If you are Māori, you can choose between the Māori roll and the general roll when you enrol to vote.

You can see the candidates for your electorate on our candidates page.

The candidate with the most votes in your electorate will be elected as the member of parliament for that area.


Who can vote

People who are enrolled to vote can vote in the 2023 general election. You can enrol to vote or update your details online at the Vote.nz website.

To enrol to vote you need to be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, over the age of 18, and have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at least once in your lifetime.


When to vote

Voting starts on 2 October at advance voting locations. Election day – the last day of voting – is on 14 October.

On election day, voting places are open from 9am to 7pm.


Where to vote

Voting places are open across the country and you can vote at any voting place.

You can find voting places near you on the Electoral Commission’s website.

It’s easier to vote at a voting place in your local area, but you can vote at any voting place.


How to vote

Vote in person

You can vote in person at any voting place. You don’t need to take ID and you can even enrol at the voting place if you aren’t already enrolled to vote.


Vote remotely

If you can’t get to a voting place, there are various ways you might be able to vote remotely.

You can find information about what to do if you can't get to a voting place at the Vote.nz website.


Vote from overseas

You can vote from overseas by downloading and posting voting papers, by post, or at an overseas voting place.

Overseas voting opens on 27 September.

The criteria for overseas voting has changed since the 2020 election, you can find out more information about voting from overseas at the Vote.nz website.