New Zealanders living or travelling overseas can vote in the country's 2026 general election from Wednesday, Reuters reported, ahead of advance voting starting next week in New Zealand itself.
Source: Reuters
Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said overseas voters could download their voting papers from the official election website and return them by uploading them to the site. The Electoral Commission is also offering in-person or postal voting at 64 overseas locations, including 10 in Australia, home to the largest share of overseas-enrolled voters.
About 126,000 enrolled voters have told the commission they are living overseas, compared with 92,600 in 2023, and nearly two-thirds of them are in Australia. The general election will take place on November 7, with recent opinion polls showing no party, or likely coalition grouping, with a clear majority — meaning overseas ballots could matter in a close result.
New Zealand is one of several Western democracies voting this autumn, and its overseas vote is unusually large for its size. Advance voting inside New Zealand starts next week, with election day on November 7.