February 12, 2013
Maori option after seven year gap
The Electoral Commission is gearing up for a short sharp campaign to inform Maori of the electoral option which starts on March 25.
The option, where Maori voters get a chance to switch between the Maori and General rolls, follows close on the heels of the March 5 census.
That's because the number of Maori seats at the next election is determined by a combination of the proportion of the general population in the South Island and the number of Maori on the Maori roll.
Enrolment services manager Murray Wicks says of the 425,000 voters who have identified themselves as Maori, 235,000 or a record 55 percent are on the Maori roll.
Option packs will be sent out in late March to every voter who has indicated they are Maori, and outreach teams are already working in communities throughout New Zealand to make sure Maori have all the information they need to make their choice.