Advance voting in the 2026 General Election has continued to trend ahead of the previous election, according to early turnout figures released by the Electoral Commission.
During the first seven days of voting—from Monday, 26 October to Sunday, 1 November—a total of 913,762 votes were cast. This marks an increase from the 712,192 votes recorded at the equivalent stage in the 2023 election. Turnout peaked over the weekend, with Saturday, 31 October recording more than 190,000 ballots issued.
“Voting has got off to a good start, and there are still six more days to vote,” says Karl Le Quesne, Chief Electoral Officer.
To facilitate early voting, approximately 600 voting places are operating daily across communities and workplaces throughout the week. Because operating hours and days differ by location, electors are advised to confirm details via vote.nz or by phoning 0800 36 76 56 prior to visiting.
Operations will expand significantly for election day on Saturday, 7 November, when more than 2,300 voting locations are scheduled to open between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm.
“Take your EasyVote card with you if you have one when you go to vote,” says Karl Le Quesne. “You don’t need an EasyVote card to vote, but it makes voting faster. EasyVote cards were sent by a mix of email and post – check your email inbox or your letterbox for yours.”