Māori or general roll? Your choice and why it matters

You can choose to enrol on the Māori roll or the general roll if you are of Māori descent. The roll you choose will affect who you can vote for at local elections.

At elections, people on the general roll vote for a candidate in their general electorate, while those on the Māori roll vote in a Māori electorate.

Voters of Māori descent can decide which roll they want to be on when enrolling for the first time. Those already enrolled can switch rolls at any time, except in the three months before a general or local election.

The deadline for switching between rolls before the local election this year is midnight 10 July.

Your roll choice determines which electorate you vote in and who you can vote for in both parliamentary and local elections. It also plays a role in determining the number and boundaries of Māori electorates in Parliament, which are reviewed ahead of each general election. A higher number of voters on the Māori roll could increase the number of Māori seats, while fewer enrolments could reduce them.

While every area has both general and Māori electorates, each person can only vote in one electorate.