Overseas New Zealanders can start voting from Wednesday
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Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins greets a supporter as his partner, Toni Grace, stands near him at the New Zealand Labour Party's election campaign launch event in Auckland, New Zealand, September 27, 2026. REUTERS/David Rowland
WELLINGTON, Oct 21 - New Zealanders living or travelling overseas can vote in the country's 2026 general election from Wednesday, ahead of advance voting starting next week in New Zealand.
• New Zealand's general election will take place on November 7 with recent opinion polls showing no party, or likely coalition grouping, with a clear majority.
• New Zealand 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 New Zealand voters.
• About 126,000 enrolled voters have told the commission they are living overseas, compared with 92,600 in 2023. Nearly two-thirds of them are in Australia. REUTERS