Overseas Voting
New Zealand’s General Election is on Saturday 7 November 2026. Overseas voting opens on Wednesday 21 October.
21 October
Overseas voting opens
25 October
Last day to enrol or update your details
7 November
Voting closes at 7pm NZ time
Step 1. Enrol to vote
Update your details by midnight (NZ time) on Sunday 25 October 2026.
Use your New Zealand driver’s licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity on vote.nz.
When enrolling or updating your details, you:
Must provide your last New Zealand address where you lived for one month or more as this determines which electorate you’re eligible to vote in
Should include your email address as this helps us send you information on the 2026 General Election.
UNew Zealand Citizens must have ? New Zealand within the last three years and permanent residents within the last 12 months to be eligible to vote. Exceptions apply for military personnel and public servants.
Step 2. Get your voting papers
Overseas voting opens on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Voting papers are not automatically sent to you and you cannot apply for postal votes to be sent from New Zealand or post voting papers back to New Zealand.
Just download your voting papers from vote.nz/overseas once overseas voting opens. You may also be able to vote in person at an overseas voting place. Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place.
Important: if you’re on the unpublished roll you won’t be able to download your voting papers. Please contact your nearest overseas voting place to vote in person. Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place. Alternatively, you can contact the electoral commission by email at overseas@vote.nz to arrange voting papers.
Step 3. Complete your voting papers
You have two votes:
Party Vote – Party Vote ACT to reelect the government and help it go further and faster on the issues that matter to you.
Electorate Vote – vote for the candidate you think will be the best local representative.
You can complete your voting papers digitally, or print them, complete them by hand and scan or photograph them. You’ll need a witness, who can also sign the special vote declaration electronically, provided it shows their normal signature.
Step 4. Return your voting papers
Upload your completed voting papers online. They must be received by 7pm (NZ time) on Saturday 7 November 2026.
You can also return your voting papers to an overseas voting place: Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place, how it is accepting voting papers and by when (times will vary).
Important: you cannot return your voting papers by email or fax.