'Voter suppression by stealth' - NZ govt accused of locking out Pasifika vote
The NZ government has been accused of trying to squeeze out the Pacific vote, after changing enrolment rules.
The New Zealand government has been accused of disenfranchising Pasifika voters by implementing a new law that ends the ability to enrol and cast special votes up until election day. The change, announced recently, requires voters to enrol 13 days prior to the election, a policy that critics argue disproportionately affects communities already facing barriers to participation.
Former Attorney-General Judith Collins acknowledged that special votes are more likely to come from areas with larger Pasifika, Māori, and Asian communities, and that younger people often cast special votes. However, the Justice and Pacific Peoples Minister Paul Goldsmith maintains that the change won't disenfranchise Pasifika voters, stating that everyone is required by law to enrol and that the country's electoral system is highly trusted and transparent.
Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono, however, insists that the government is making democracy harder to access, arguing that special votes played a significant role in the 2023 general election, counting over 97,000 new registrations. Tuiono described the government's claim of improving efficiency as an excuse for voter suppression, emphasizing that every eligible New Zealander should have the right to vote, regardless of their circumstances.
Other members of the governing coalition have proposed further restrictions on the Pasifika vote, with the NZ First party introducing a policy that only New Zealand citizens can vote for central and local government elections and referenda.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
