The Independent Electoral Review wants to hear your views on the future of our electoral system
The Independent Electoral Review has been established by the Minister of Justice to review our electoral law. It is an opportunity to take a thorough look at our elections as times and technology change and to make election rules clearer and fairer for current and future generations.
We want to hear from you about how to better support people to exercise their democratic right to vote and ensure voters have confidence in election outcomes, whatever their political preferences. We have released a consultation document and encourage you to let us know what you think. Find out how to have your say here.
Hear from the Chair of the Independent Panel about the Review and why you should get involved.
Deborah Hart
Chair of the Independent Electoral Review Panel
The Review covers a range of issues that will be of interest to all New Zealanders, including:
- voting age
- overseas voting
- the length of the parliamentary term
- the funding of political parties
- the party vote and one electorate seat threshold
- election advertising
Broader constitutional matters are out of scope of the Review. This includes alternatives to the MMP voting system, re-establishing an Upper House, the role and functions of the Head of State, the current size of Parliament, and the future of the Māori electorate seats. Online voting is also out of scope.
The Panel Members
Timeline for the review
The Independent Panel was appointed by the Minister of Justice in May to lead the review of electoral law. New Zealanders have two opportunities to share their thoughts with the Panel before it makes its final recommendations to the Government at the end of 2023.
The first stage of engagement is open now until mid-November. The Panel is meeting with Māori and iwi, advocacy groups, and political parties, and is holding a series of public meetings. We encourage you to read our consultation document and have your say on the future of the electoral system.
The second stage of engagement will be from April 2023, after the Panel has produced its draft recommendations. This will give the public the opportunity to see how their input has been used and provide further feedback, to inform the Panel's final report.
