We must counter the Government’s efforts to restrict voting
As Election 2026 approaches, the Government is quietly tightening the rules around enrolment and late voting — not to improve democracy, but to manage who gets to participate in it. History shows that voter suppression is a deliberate political strategy, and New Zealand is no longer immune from it.
A familiar right-wing strategy: restrict the vote
With the countdown to the election now on, we need to turn our attention to overcoming the efforts that the current government have put in to limit the numbers of people late voting. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised at this, as there is a well beaten path of right wing governments around the world seeking to limit voting, especially by people who would most likely not vote for them.
The world leader is, of course, the USA, and it’s disappointing, albeit not surprising, that our Atlas Network dominated politicians are following the same path. It’s almost as though there is a masterplan that is being followed…
Libertarianism for some, silence for others
You’ve noticed, I’m sure, how incongruous it is that is the parties on the right who, as well as trying to restrict voting, are also the ones who try to limit speech e.g., don’t you dare criticise Israel or use the ‘G’ word, or support Palestine.
So much for the so-called libertarians – “do and say what you like, as long as you meet our definitions of right speech, right actions and right views.”
They also try to convince us, through throwing dust in our eyes, that it is the parties on the left that want to operate police states , when the actuality is that is the right and their fascist brethren that do this.
Making enrolment harder is not an accident
Back to the elections: the government has worked very hard to ensure that voting will be difficult for last minute voters, through setting the last day of enrolment many days before the election. This is in contrast to the last election when late voters could enrol on the voting day.
It wouldn’t have escaped their notice that the many people who enrolled and voted last minute probably didn’t vote for them, and this is not something they want repeated, hence the efforts to disenfranchise them.
Claims that this is about speeding up the count are, to quote US commentator Ray McGovern, nothing more than male bovine excrement. For a start their gerrymandering is likely to see an increase in special votes, which are much slower to count than regular votes.
Countering voter suppression at the grassroots
So this behoves us to do all we can to nobble their nefarious schemes. All of us must do our best to ensure that everyone is enrolled well before the cut-off date.
The seniors group of the Palmerston North Labour Party is developing plans to address this, through setting up stalls around the city where passersby can use an internet connected tablet to go to the Electoral Commission website (vote.nz) to check if they are enrolled (there have been quite a number of cases where people’s enrolment has disappeared for some reason.).
People who aren’t on the roll will be, if they wish, helped to fill in enrolment forms which will then be sent to the Electoral Commission.
The aim is to have everyone enrolled, regardless of who they may vote for.
High turnout is the antidote to money politics
Democracy works best when everyone votes, otherwise election results are captured by vested interests backed by big money.
As Sean Ackland said on a Facebook post, the billionaires who are funding the right aren’t going to want the same things as grass roots National and ACT voters, and who do you think the National and ACT politicians are going to listen to? Their funders with very deep pockets, or Joe and Jane Bloggs out there in suburbia?
Their election planning depends on electoral sleight of hand to convince Joe and Jane Bloggs that they have their best interests at heart.
It is vital we have a high voting turnout to overcome the government’s best efforts to prevent this.
So what are you going to do to ensure everyone is enrolled and votes?
No surprise really. The MPs know perfectly well they’ve done a shit job – but are they ready to give up on forty years of neoliberal claptrap & undeserved privilege and do what voters want?
Hardly.
So – increasingly desperate tactics to hold on to power.
Make voting mandatory for everyone over the age of, say, sixteen. If we don’t, the current casual voting approach will continue to show our current pretense of a democracy up as a scam. Just ask the 14 Kiwi multi-billionaires, the 3118 Kiwi multi-millionaires each with a net minimum of $50 million and then we all fly to australia to ask the four once were Kiwi banks and second most profitable banks in the world before they left being anz, bnz, asb and *westpac for their opinions.
* Was always australian owned.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Repeating myself. And so I fucking should.
Wouldn’t you think a Government that excludes people enrolling in the fortnight before a general election would be keen to ‘pro-actively’ ensure that everyone required to be enrolled is, as the law requires?
Surely the Government has a responsibility to enforce the Electoral Act 1993 and ensure everyone IS enrolled two weeks before Election Day:
Section82 Compulsory registration of electors
(1)A person who is qualified to be registered as an elector of any electoral district and who is in New Zealand must apply to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector—
(a)within 1 month after the date on which he or she first becomes qualified to be registered as an elector:
(b)within 1 month after the date on which he or she ceases to be registered as an elector by reason of the inclusion of his or her name on the dormant roll under section 89G.
(2)Any person aged 17 years or older, but under 18 years, may apply to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector, and that person is not then required to apply for registration as an elector on attaining the age of 18 years.
(3)A person who is qualified to be registered as an elector of any electoral district and who is outside New Zealand may apply at any time to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector.
(4)Where a Maori is qualified to be registered as an elector of both a Maori electoral district and a General electoral district, that person may apply for registration as an elector of only one of those districts, being the district in respect of which that person has exercised his or her option under section 76.
(5)A person commits an offence against this section who, being required by this section to apply for registration as an elector during any period, knowingly and wilfully fails to apply.
(6)A person who applies for registration as an elector is not liable to prosecution for his or her earlier failure to apply for registration as an elector.
(6A)A person who is registered as an elector by the Electoral Commission under section 89CB is not liable to prosecution for their earlier failure to apply for registration as an elector.
(7)A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding—
(a)$100 on a first conviction; and
(b)$200 on a second or subsequent conviction.
Allan – Apart from dragging potential voters out of bed, and place them in front of polling booth…what else can be done?
@-Nathan- . Fuck- Off- .
RNZ sez :
“Nearly 40% of voters think Treaty of Waitangi has too much influence on government decisions – poll”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/585236/nearly-40-percent-of-voters-think-treaty-of-waitangi-has-too-much-influence-on-government-decisions-poll
What? Like nearly 40% is like nearly 0.1% if you squint your eyes in that rnz kind of way? And what poll? Brain-farts don’t count RNZ. Ok. They do. To the likes of @ nathan. I realise that @ nathan’s brain’s fart-ready but in reality-land I do I have questions.
@ Maori. Please. Go and give a farmer a hug then insist they lobby with you to mandate the vote. And for Gods sake. Do. Not. Let. Any. Fuck. At. All. scam-talk or bully you out of the Treaty. I’m saying that as an old white Southland farmer. Seriously. I am that. Please, don’t forego the Treaty.
@ Farmers? Yep, you lot. You’re bloody awesome so please don’t fuck it up by following manipulative haters with the smell of other people’s money on their Y fronts. @ Maori are your besties but if you insist on finding an enemy then look no further than Remuera and check out Sydney while you’re at it.
@ Maori? Don’t pave the way for the likes of ol Ronny.
* Ol Ronny aye.
Brierley retains a Point Piper harbourfront home bought from the late Hestia bra supremo Michael Hershon for $3.65 million in 1987.
He also has a holiday home at Great Mackerel Beach on Sydney’s Pittwater and a marina berth at Bobbin Head.
countryboy – Back to the “Fuck off” reply….what are winner you are.
Good question. The old cliche, you can led horse to water but you can’t make it drink. However by ensuring as many people as possible are enrolled, at least you’re showing them the water.
Allan – Registering to vote is the law…Perhaps we need to enforce the law on this better?
Alan – Registering to vote is the law…Perhaps we need to enforce the law on this better?
Another corrupt politician abandoning ship…
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/01/28/national-mp-judith-collins-announces-shes-leaving-parliament/
Judith Collins a well respected politician held in high esteem. To describe it as abandoning ship is just spitefully stupid.
No it’s not. It’s just spitefully accurate.
An outstanding woman, an upstanding woman of integrity and good character.
Another corrupt right wing career politician who Key demoted due to her dirty politics and using her position to influence her husband’s Oravida business through the border. A fucking disgrace to NZ politics unless you’re animmigrant who doesn’t know any better. In fact knows nothing.
Calling Collins outstanding and upstanding is naive and stupid. Describing Collins as such shows poor political intellect.
Unless Bob she’s sitting there lecturing the Iranians on human rights with full knowledge of abuse in state care here, or representing her repulsive husband’s business interests at the taxpayers expense, sure she just reeks of integrity. What rubbish you share.
Yes, I have been encouraging as many of our Māori whanau to make sure they are registered and to vote for anyone but the COC.
Our PM and his side kick Nicola know they are very unpopular and they are keeping with their same old messages using repetition it’s kind of a brain washing tactic Slimeon was doing it this morning on RNZ.
While I am trying to be careful and not ‘point the finger’ someone or some organisation is illegally, not only interferring with our electoral processes, but with our roll. The latter is serious and needs full investigation NOW before too much damage is done. All of us on the Left must encourage our young ones to make their vote count if they want a better, fairer NZ icluding those who have fled to Aus. This corrupt, deceitful, lying CoC are so full of themselves that they believe they are above the law. Let’s see? Left, do what the seniors’ group of the Palmerston Nth Labour Parting is developing – get out there now, open up enrolment centres and help youth to enroll. Have them take a phone copy of the enrolment and regularly keep an eye on it until the election is over. From now on the Left must fight fire with fire and not tolerate any more bullying from this revolting CoC.
PG leader of the Lefts propaganda machine.
Bob TFw – Have you ever tried to put in more than a sentence or ‘shock’ even a few paragraphs instead of your usual one sentence comments about other’s efforts? Way over time to actually contribute something meaningful and even intelligent? As for Judith’s integrity, if you did some research you would see that in 2104 John Key issued her a final warning for her illegal actions over her husband’s business!!! Of course not, you don’t research, you are a typical RW enabler – you just pick at other’s efforts and knee-jerk ‘one liners’. NZ prides itself on not being corrupt, that pride has been replaced by this CoC-up with shame and embarrassment! And as for propaganda, again, clearly you have forgotten the desperate blue pamphlet Luxon delivered in 11/25 full of lies and wishful thinking? Think before your fingers run away from you!
Brevity the soul of wit. Much preferred over much repeated ramblings. If you can’t make your point you don’t have one.
So what’s your point Bob junior?
As said previously, you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed are you Bob.