Time is running out for Māori voters to choose which electoral roll they want to be on for this year's general election – the Māori roll or the general roll.

Voters of Māori descent choose the Māori roll or general roll when they first enrol to vote and can change rolls at any time except in the three months before an election.

"Māori who want to change the roll they are on before the 2023 General Election need to do it by midnight July 13. You can't switch rolls between July 14 and election day on October 14. You will be able to switch rolls again after the election," says Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne.

At this year's election, voters on the Māori roll will vote for a candidate in a Māori electorate and voters on the general roll will vote for a candidate in a general electorate. Whichever roll a voter is on, they will choose from the same list of political parties when it comes to their party vote.

"E tātou mā, there is a deadline looming on 13 July for people who are already enrolled to vote. Think about the roll you are on, and if that's the roll you'd like to vote on at this election," says Chief Advisor Māori Hone Matthews.

‘If you're happy with the roll you're on you don't need to do anything. If you would like to switch from the general roll to the Māori roll, or the Māori roll to the general roll, you need to act now.

"Check that your tamariki and your mokopuna are enrolled to vote too. There's no deadline for first time enrollers – if you're enrolling for the first time, you can enrol and make your roll choice right up to and on election day," says Hone.

Between March 31 and June 22, 11,835 people changed roll types – 6,389 from the general roll to the Māori roll, and 5,446 from the Māori roll to the general roll. There have been 1,360 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 727 new enrolments on the general roll.

People can enrol, update their address, and change rolls if they would like to online at vote.nz, or call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for an enrolment form to be sent to them in the mail.

More information on the Māori Electoral Option and resources to share are available at vote.nz including in te reo Māori regional dialects.

Ko te pau haere te wā whakawhiti rārangi

Ko te pau haere te wā e kōwhiri ai ngā kaipōti Māori i ngā rārangi pōti e hiahia rā rātau mō te pōtitanga ā-motu o tēnei tau – ko te rārangi pōti Māori, ko te rārangi pōti whānui rānei.

Ka kōwhiri ngā kaipōti Māori i te rārangi pōti Māori, i te rārangi pōti whānui rānei ina rēhita mātahi rātau ki te pōti, ā, ka āhei ki te whakawhiti rārangi ahakoa te wā, engari kaua i te 3 marama i mua i tētehi pōtitanga.

‘Ko ngā Māori e hiahia ana ki te whakawhiti rārangi pōti i mua i te Pōtitanga ā-Motu 2023 me whakawhiti i mua i te 13 o Hūrae i te waenganui pō. Kāhore e āhei koe ki te whakawhiti rārangi i waenganui i te 14 o Hūrae me te rā pōti, arā, te 14 o Oketopa. Ka āhei anō ki te whakawhiti ā muri i te pōtitanga,' hei tā te Amokapua, hei tā Karl Le Quesne.

Hei te pōtitanga o tēnei tau, ka pōti ia kaipōti o te rārangi Māori mō tētehi kaitono o tōna rohe pōti Māori, ā, ka pōti ia kaipōti o te rārangi whānui mō tētehi kaitono o tōna rohe pōti whānui. Ahakoa te rārangi e noho nā te kaipōti,kotahi anake te rārangi o ngā rōpū tōrangapū hei pōti mā te kaipōti ki tāna pōti ā-rōpū.

‘E tātau mā, ko te kainamu mai te rā aukati, arā te 13 o Hūrae, mō te hunga kua rēhita kē ki te pōti. Tēnā, whakaarohia te rārangi e noho nā koe; koirā te rārangi e hiahia nā koe hei rārangi pōti mōu i te pōtitanga nei?,' te kī a Hone Matthews, a te Amo Māori.

‘Mehemea e pai ana ki a koe te rārangi e noho nā koe, kāhore he mahi nō hei mahi māu. Mehemea e hiahia ana koe ki te whakawhiti i te rārangi whānui ki te rārangi Māori, i te rārangi Māori rānei ki te rārangi whānui, me whakawhiti ināianei.

‘Kia kaha hoki ki te kōrero ki āu tamariki, ki āu mokopuna; kua rēhita rātau? Kāhore he rā aukati mō te kaipōti e rēhita mātahi ana ki te pōti – mehemea ko te rēhita mātahi mai koe, ka āhei koe ki te rēhita, ki te kōwhiri hoki i tō rārangi pōti, tae atu ki te rā pōti, arā, ka āhei tonu ki te rēhita ā te rā pōti tonu,' hei tā Hone Matthews.

I waenga i te 31 o Māehe me te 22 o Hune, 11,835 ngā tāngata i whakawhiti rārangi - 6,389 i whakawhiti i te rārangi whānui ki te rārangi Māori, ā, 5,446 i whakawhiti i te rārangi Māori ki te rārangi whānui. Kua 1,360 ngā rēhitatanga hou i te rārangi Māori, ā, kua 727 ngā rēhitatanga hou i te rārangi whānui.

Ka āhei tātau ki te haere ki vote.nz ki te rēhita, ki te whakahou i ngā taipitopito wāhi noho, ki te whakawhiti rārangi rānei. Ka āhei hoki ki te waea mai ki 0800 36 76 56 ki te tono kia tukua atu he puka rēhita ki a koe i te mēra.

He pārongo nō mō te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori, he rauemi hoki hei tuari atu, tatū atu ki ngā rauemi kua tuhia ki ētehi mita o ngā rohe pōti Māori, kei vote.nz.