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New Zealand votes in the 2026 General Election on Saturday, 7 November 2026, and voting is already underway. Advance voting places opened on Monday, 26 October, and the Electoral Commission’s enrolment deadline – midnight, Sunday 25 October – has now passed. This guide brings together the official timetable, who is eligible to enrol and vote (including the rules that matter for migrants), and what to expect on and after election day. All dates and rules below come from the Electoral Commission. Last checked: 27 October 2026.
Official key dates for the 2026 General Election
The Electoral Commission confirmed the timetable on 21 January 2026, after the Prime Minister announced the election date:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 21 October | Overseas voting starts |
| 25 October (midnight) | Last day to enrol or update your details for this election |
| 26 October | Advance voting starts |
| 6 November (midnight) | Regulated period for election advertising ends; all election signs must be taken down |
| 7 November | Election day – voting places open 9.00am to 7.00pm; preliminary results released progressively from 7.00pm on electionresults.govt.nz |
| 27 November | Official results for the 2026 General Election declared |
| 3 December | Last day for the return of the writ |
Source: Electoral Commission media release, “Key dates for 2026 General Election”, 21 January 2026.
Advance voting is open now
You do not have to wait until 7 November. Advance voting started on Monday, 26 October, with 207 voting places open on the first day offering 1,437 hours of voting, according to the Commission’s 22 October update. Voting places are in shopping areas, transport hubs, marae, community halls and tertiary institutions, and days and hours vary by location – check the map at vote.nz before you go, or call 0800 36 76 56. On election day itself, more than 2,300 voting places will be open from 9.00am to 7.00pm.
If you received an EasyVote card by email or post, take it with you – it makes voting faster – but you do not need it to vote.
Enrolment for this election has closed
The deadline to enrol or update your details was midnight, Sunday 25 October 2026 – 13 days before election day. The Commission’s guidance is direct: you cannot enrol or update your details after that point for the 2026 election, and you must be enrolled for your vote to count. If you are already enrolled, you can still check your details at vote.nz/enrol. As of 21 October, 3,729,667 people were enrolled – 92.1% of the estimated eligible population, and already above the final 2023 enrolment of 3,688,292.
Who can vote – and what that means for migrant families
New Zealand’s eligibility rules are broader than many countries’. You can enrol and vote if you are 18 or older, a New Zealand citizen or a resident for electoral purposes, and you have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some point in your life.
“Resident for electoral purposes” means you are living in New Zealand lawfully and are not required to leave within a specified time. That includes holders of resident-class visas – the Commission specifically notes that 2021 Resident Visa holders who meet the criteria are eligible – but it excludes people on work or study visas that require them to leave New Zealand by a certain date. For many Indian families who have made New Zealand home, this election is one they can genuinely take part in; for those still on temporary work or student visas, voting rights come with residence.
Other eligibility points from the Commission:
- If you turned 17, you can enrol now and will be enrolled automatically on your 18th birthday.
- Niueans, Tokelauans, Cook Islanders and Australians can enrol once they have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more.
- New Zealanders overseas can enrol and vote if they are citizens who have been in New Zealand within the past three years, or residents who have been here within the past 12 months; public servants and Defence Force members posted overseas (and their families) can vote regardless of time away.
How enrolment and voting actually work
Enrolment for 2026 is closed, but for future elections – and for checking your current details – the process is: enrol online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity; or complete a paper form and return it by upload at vote.nz/upload or email to enrol@vote.nz. Enrolment forms can also be dropped at Commission hubs. The Electoral Commission’s helpline is 0800 36 76 56.
At the voting place you will receive your ballot papers: one vote for your electorate candidate and one party vote under MMP, plus any referendum questions if scheduled. Your electorate is based on where you live; Māori voters may be on the Māori roll or the general roll (the roll-choice deadline for this election was 6 August).
Results: what happens after 7 November
Preliminary results are released progressively from 7.00pm on election night at electionresults.govt.nz. These are preliminary only. The official results for the 2026 General Election – after special votes are counted – will be declared on 27 November, and the writ must be returned by 3 December, formally completing the election.
What this election has already touched on
Our earlier coverage tracks the policy fights feeding into this campaign, including National ruling out new taxes, including bank and bed taxes, NZ First’s proposal to restrict NZ Super to citizens from 2029, and ACT’s permanent residency proposal and what it would mean for migrants. Eligibility and enrolment rules above are the ones that decide who actually gets a say on those questions.
Sources
- Electoral Commission, “Key dates for 2026 General Election” (21 January 2026) – elections.nz
- Electoral Commission, “Voting starts on Monday” (22 October 2026) – elections.nz
- Vote.nz, “Are you eligible to enrol and vote?” – vote.nz
Dates and rules verified against the Electoral Commission on 27 October 2026. Always confirm your voting place hours at vote.nz before you go.
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