Swarbrick calls Luxon a liar over vote enrolment rules
The Greens leader argues the government restricted voter access, while National maintains the changes streamlined the counting process.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told John Campbell on Monday that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon lied about the government's decision to remove same-day voter enrolment. She described the recent election as deeply cynical and accused the government of knowingly indulging in voter suppression. Swarbrick stated she was calling a spade a spade by using the word lie to characterize Luxon's previous explanations.
The government altered the electoral law to stop people from enrolling on election day or during the advanced voting period for this contest. Instead, officials set a firm deadline of 25 October. Luxon previously defended the move, noting that the changes were announced about a year prior. He argued that citizens had plenty of time to register and that the approach mirrored systems used in Australia, the UK, Ireland, and France.
Provisional data shows the enrolment rate for this year stood at 93.6 percent of the eligible population. That figure is down from 94.7 percent in 2023, though it remains higher than the rates recorded in 2014 or 2017. Turnout for the 2026 election is currently on track to be the second lowest in New Zealand history. Swarbrick said the process left a sour taste in a few people's mouths and warned that taking away easy access to the ballot is a slippery slope.
Luxon has stated that the rule change aimed to prevent increases in the time required for the Electoral Commission to count the vote. He described it as an overwhelming experience for the Commission to simultaneously encourage enrolment, run voting booths, and count the vote. Swarbrick countered that there is no justifiable reason for the barriers because the counting process is taking the same period of time as before. She noted that the changes could make determining a legitimate vote more complicated.
It took three weeks to count special votes after the 2023 election, and officials expect the same timeline for this year. In response to a request for comment on Monday, Luxon said he had nothing to add to his previous remarks. Qiulae Wong, the leader of Opportunity, said her party did not agree with the enrolment changes, though she called Swarbrick's choice of words strong. Wong expressed disappointment at the low turnout and suggested New Zealanders should question the parties responsible for the decision.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke on Monday, stating that the previous government had disenfranchised voters. Labour promised to reverse the enrolment changes during the campaign. Former Attorney General Judith Collins also weighed in, warning that the changes appeared inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. That document states that every over-18 New Zealander should be able to vote.
The Electoral Commission previously indicated that the reasons offered by the government for the changes were not necessarily valid or guaranteed to come to fruition. The debate centers on whether the administrative burden on the Commission outweighs the convenience lost by voters who missed the October deadline. The final count is expected to conclude in approximately three weeks.
