New Zealand general elections 2020: Advance voting starts, election day on Oct 17

Voting places across New Zealand opened doors from October 3 for voters to cast their advance votes for the 2020 General Election and referendums. New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system to elect its parliament and under this system, the government is usually formed by two or more parliamentary political parties. To elect the 53rd Parliament, kiwis will be able to vote from October 3 to 7pm on election day, i.e., October 17 (local time).

This year there are 120 members of parliament plus any overhang seats, including 72 representatives for 72 geographical electorates and the rest seats from political party lists. Each voter gets two votes. The first vote is for the political party and the second vote is to choose the MP the voter wants to represent the local electorate they live in. Under the MMP rules, a political party that wins at least one electorate seat, or five per cent of the party vote, gets a share of the seats in Parliament. 

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At this year’s general election, New Zealanders can also vote in two referendums. Kiwis can vote on whether the ‘recreational use of cannabis should become legal’ or ‘the End of Life Choice Act 2019’, which gives people with a terminal illness the option of requesting assisted dying. According to the New Zealand Electoral Commission, almost 450 advance voting places across the country are now open, with more voting places in the fortnight leading up to the election day. 

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Election results to be announced on Nov 6

Due to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, this year the officials have made arrangements for people in hospitals, rest homes, remand centres, prisons, managed isolation or quarantine facilities and overseas to cast their vote. According to the Electoral Commission, postal voting and takeaway voting are available to those unable to get to a voting place. 

New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of 18 wars or older, who have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more are eligible to vote the election. On October 17, voters can vote from 9am to 7pm (local time), following which the official will start releasing preliminary election results on www.electionresults.govt.nz. On October 30, the preliminary results for the referendum will be released and on November 6 the official results for the general election and referendums will be announced. 

(Image: Twitter/ @TomaszKol)

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