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Submissions

Electoral Amendment Bill 2025

Posted in Submission, Government; Tagged Accessibility, Justice; Posted 6 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Justice Select Committee
Date: September 2025

 

Purpose

DPA opposed the Bill.

The submission responded to the Government’s Electoral Amendment Bill which reduced the deadline for electoral enrolment from being (at the latest) on Election Day itself to cutting off the day before advanced voting begins.

The bill extended the right to vote to all disabled people detained in facilities under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 or the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003.

However, the bill overturned the right of all prisoners – including those sentenced to three years or less in prison who had the right to vote – to enrol and to vote in all future elections.

The bill also placed a greater reliance on digital over postal enrolment methods.

Summary of DPA submission

Supporting Statement 1:

While DPA supports the overturning the ban on voting for disabled people held in secure health facilities, the harm arising from other aspects of the Bill, including earlier closing of the electoral roll, over-reliance on digital enrolment and the full prisoner voting ban outweighed these considerations, hence DPA’s opposition.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

The bill partially violates government’s obligations under Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) that guarantees the right of all disabled people to enrol and vote in elections and also undermines government’s obligations to disabled people under Outcome 8 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy to encourage more disabled people into leadership roles, including elected office. Bill also violated commitments to tāngata whaikaha Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. 

 

Recommendation:

DPA asks that the bill be amended to retain paper-based enrolment as an option alongside digital enrolment. 

 

 
 

Download

DPA Submission 2509 Electoral Amendment Bill (DOCX)

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