Information for voters

You cannot vote in this by-election if you are enrolled on the Māori Parliamentary electoral roll. There are no vacancies in the Māori constituency seats. Māori constituencies 

This by-election will fill the vacancy in the Eastern Bay of Plenty General constituency seat caused by the unexpected death of Councillor Malcolm Campbell. To be eligible to vote in this by-election you must be enrolled on the General Parliamentary electoral roll. 

If you're Māori and you're enrolling to vote for the first time, you can choose to enrol on either the Māori roll or the general roll. Learn more about the Māori and general rolls   

No, you can’t change parliamentary rolls at this point, due to the rules and timing associated with the upcoming national general election. The option to change Parliamentary rolls closed on 6 August 2026, three months before the central government election, which is being held on 7 November 2026.  

If you’re Māori you can change your roll type at any time, except:

• in the 3 months before a general election
• in the 3 months before local elections which are held every 3 years
• before a parliamentary by-election if the change would move you into the electorate where the by-election is being held.

If you're Māori and you're enrolling to vote for the first time you can choose either the Māori roll or the general roll.  Learn more about the Māori and general rolls

The Māori Electoral Option is a choice for Māori about which electoral roll to be on: the Māori roll or the general roll.

Your roll choice affects which candidates you can choose from in parliamentary elections and local elections. It also helps determine the number of Māori and general electorates.

Learn more at vote.nz 

Check your enrolment details here  

You need to be on the General Parliamentary Electoral Roll to vote in this by-election. 

Voting documents will be posted out from 24 August 2026, with voting starting from that date.  Voting closes Friday, 25 September 2026 at 12 noon.

If you haven’t received your voting pack in the post by Monday 31 August 2026, please call 0800 884 880. 

Please note that voting packs are not sent to electors on the unpublished roll. Those electors will need to cast a special vote. 

You can still vote but you will need to cast a special vote.

Please wait until after Friday, 28 August 2026 as your voting documents may just be a bit late arriving in the post.

You must be enrolled on the General Parliamentary electoral roll and live in the Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency area before completing a special vote. You can enrol up to 5 pm on Thursday, 24 September 2026.

It takes less than five minutes to complete your declaration form as to why you need a special vote, and you can vote on site or take it away to vote later. 

You can still vote even if your voting pack is damaged or if you’ve made a mistake and need a new voting paper. 

You must be enrolled on the General Parliamentary electoral roll and be eligible to vote in the Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency area before completing a special vote. 

You can enrol to vote up to 5 pm on Thursday, 24 September 2026.  
It takes less than five minutes to complete your declaration form as to why you need a special vote, and you can vote on site or take it away to vote later.  

If you have made a mistake on your voting paper don’t worry, as long as it is very clear on your voting document who you wish to vote for you don’t need a new voting paper.  

If you have made a mistake that cannot be fixed and you need a new voting document, then please contact byelection2026@boprc.govt.nz or phone 0800 0800 884 880 and we will issue you with a special vote.

If you have a physical disability or access need, or are unable to read or write, or are not familiar with the language on the form, you can visit us and get help from the electoral team at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council local offices in Whakatāne and Tauranga during normal office hours between Monday, 24 August and 12noon on Friday, 25 September 2026 at:

• Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
• 5 Quay Street, Whakatāne 

Or at these locations:

• Ōpōtiki District Council, 108 St John Street, Ōpōtiki, Tuesday 22 September 10.00am – 3.00pm
• Kawerau District Council, 2 Ranfurly Court, Kawerau, Wednesday 23 September 10.00am – 3.00pm

Voting packs are not sent to electors on the unpublished roll. You will get a letter from the Electoral Commission saying that you will need to cast a special vote at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council local offices in Whakatāne and Tauranga during normal office hours between Monday, 24 August and 12noon on Friday, 25 September 2026 at:

• Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
• 5 Quay Street, Whakatāne 

Special voting will also be available at these locations:

• Ōpōtiki District Council, 108 St John Street, Ōpōtiki, Tuesday 22 September 10.00am – 3.00pm
• Kawerau District Council, 2 Ranfurly Court, Kawerau, Wednesday 23 September 10.00am – 3.00pm

Special voting documents can be posted out by calling 0800 884 880.

Current local electoral legislation, set up by central government, does not allow online or electronic voting, any forms of early voting outside of the voting period, or any voting on behalf of someone else.

This by-election is being conducted by postal vote and voter packs will be mailed out from 24 August 2026. Completed voting papers can only be returned by post or courier which creates challenges for overseas based electors. There is no voting period extension for overseas based electors. 

If you are travelling during the voting period you can apply for a special vote. Email byelection2026@boprc.govt.nz or call 0800 884 880 to request a special voter pack to be sent to your temporary address overseas.

To do this we will need to know:

• Where you are registered on the electoral roll (your normal residential address)
• The postal address where you want the special voter pack mailed to. 

The delivery timeframe will depend on the address the pack will be sent to and you will be responsible for the return package.  Your completed vote must reach us by 12 noon on Friday, 25 September 2026.

When you enrol, your name, address and occupation are listed publicly on the electoral roll unless you apply to go on the unpublished roll. The Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency roll can be viewed at Bay of Plenty Regional Council local offices in Whakatāne and Tauranga during normal office hours between Monday, 24 August and 12 noon on Friday, 25 September 2026 at:

• Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
• 5 Quay Street, Whakatāne 

If you want to purchase a hard copy of the electoral roll please email byelection2026@boprc.govt.nz or call 0800 884 880  

Regular updates on the by-election website will show the percentage of votes that have been returned.  Please note that the clearance schedules for orange bins will be different to that of a normal local government election, and as a result we expect a lower percentage of voter returns in the first two weeks of the voting period.