New Zealand Makes It Tougher To Vote, Critics Say

New Zealand lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday that would prevent individuals from registering to vote on election day and ban inmates from casting their ballot while in prison, a move critics say will lower voter turnout, Reuters reported. 

The proposed bill, which passed the first of three readings in parliament and will likely pass the next two, would require people to register to vote no later than 13 days before an election. Currently, eligible voters can enroll up to and on election day.  

The measure would also ban those convicted and imprisoned for a crime from voting. That doesn’t include individuals accused of crimes and detained in a hospital or secure facility, Radio New Zealand explained. 

The new law would take effect before the next general election scheduled for 2026. 

New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, who proposed the bill, said it aims to modernize “outdated and unsustainable electoral laws,” adding that the changes are designed to strengthen the system by improving efficiency, clarifying regulations, managing costs, and ensuring quicker reporting of election results.  

However, a report by Attorney General Judith Collins found that the bill “appears to be inconsistent” with New Zealand’s Bill of Rights, including the right to freedom of expression and the right to vote.  

Lawmaker Duncan Webb, from the opposition Labour Party, called the bill “a dark day for democracy,” arguing that politicians should make the voting process easier for people and make sure that everybody can express their preferences. 

The proposed amendments to the voting law were partly prompted by delays in releasing official results in the 2023 general election, when a high number of special votes delayed final results by nearly three weeks. 

Special votes refer to ballots cast by New Zealanders who are overseas, by those who vote outside their usual electoral area, or by first-time voters. In the last election, that amounted to almost 250,000 votes out of an electorate of about 3.5 million. 

Meanwhile, analysts also warned that the new bill may influence future election results in favor of conservatives.