'Voter suppression by stealth' - NZ govt accused of locking out Pasifika vote

The Minister for Pacific Peoples has denied that a recent law change ruling out late enrolment will disenfranchise Pasifika voters.

However, others beg to differ, echoing a report from the government's own Attorney-General at the time this change and other voter restictions were announced.

The change means that in the upcoming November general election, voters have to enrol 13 days before election day, after the government ended the ability for eligible voters to enrol and cast special votes during the voting period.

In the report, former Attorney-General Judith Collins acknowledged that special votes were more likely to come from areas with larger Māori, Asian and Pasifika communities, and that younger people are more likely to cast special votes.

Despite this, the Justice and Pacific Peoples' Minister Paul Goldsmith said he didn't accept that the change would disenfranchise Pacific voters.

"Everybody is required by the legislation to get enrolled. We don't think New Zealanders are less capable than Australians, and if Australians can get it done 30 days before the election, we're confident that New Zealanders can get it done in a timely fashion as well," he told RNZ Pacific.

But Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono said the government was making democracy harder to access.

"Election day enrolment has allowed thousands of people to participate who might otherwise have missed out," he said.

"Taking that option away will disproportionately affect communities that already face barriers to engagement, and in particular our Pasifika communities."

Special votes counted during the 2023 general election included over 97,000 people who registered for the first time during the voting period.

However, Goldsmith said he had "every confidence" that people who are entitled to vote will have every opportunity to do so.

"So my message to them right here right now is: it's not hard," said Goldsmith.

Efficiency excuse 'a lot of rot'

New Zealand has a highly trusted and transparent electoral system, yet the government is arguing it is making the democratic system more efficient by removing the ability of a sizeable chunk of voters to participate in the system.

Tuiono said special votes made up nearly a third of ballots in largely Pasifika electorates and described the government's claim about improving efficiency as an excuse.

"I think that's a lot of rot, that actually what this is is voter suppression by stealth," he told RNZ Pacific.

"Every eligible New Zealander should be able to vote, regardless of how busy their lives are or how often they move. So these changes are literally locking people out of decisions that govern their lives."

Permanent residents in NZ First's crosshairs

Meanwhile, other members of the governing coalition are campaigning on introducing new electoral policy that could further squeeze out the Pasifika vote.

NZ First has announced a policy where only New Zealand citizens have the right to vote for central and local government elections and referenda.

Paul Goldsmith said the National Party hadn't yet come out in support of it, adding that it hadn't yet had a full caucus discussion about it.

But Tuiono said the policy was terrible and unfairly targets people.

"I'm mindful of the saying of 'no taxation without representation'. They literally want to take away the rights for people to vote, permanent residents to vote, Pacific people's rights to vote," Tuiono warned.