Early Voting starts

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, September 3rd, 2014 - 43 comments
Categories: election 2014 - Tags:

The Electoral Commission has been producing some really interesting videos on why it is important to vote.  The first is above.

And now is a good time for everyone to remind friends, neighbours and family on the importance of voting.  Early votes can now be cast.  Early voting information can be found here.

43 comments on “Early Voting starts ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    3 September 2014 at 11:03 am

    Do you need the easyvote card in order to vote early? When are they supposed to be sent out?

    • mickysavage 1.1
      3 September 2014 at 11:12 am

      Would not think so. You should be able to just rock up to an early polling booth and as long as you are on the roll then cast a vote.

      • Lanthanide 1.1.1
        3 September 2014 at 11:41 am

        So “early voting” is actually casting a special vote, and therefore more hassle?

        • weka 1.1.1.1
          3 September 2014 at 11:58 am

          that depends on whether voting on the 20th is a hassle or not. For people that can’t get to a polling booth on the 20th, advance voting will be way less hassle.

          • Lanthanide 1.1.1.1.1
            3 September 2014 at 12:18 pm

            I will easily be able to vote on the 20th, or vote early. But if it’s going to be more hassle doing an early vote, then I won’t bother.

            Hence my question.

        • Tracey 1.1.1.2
          3 September 2014 at 12:25 pm

          what hassle? there won’t be queues and you say your name, they scroll down and bingo…

      • Antonina 1.1.2
        3 September 2014 at 11:58 am

        Voted this morning – real easy. Easivote card coming next week.

        • Bearded Git 1.1.2.1
          3 September 2014 at 1:45 pm

          Voted this morning too. 3rd person to vote in Wanaka.

          There appears to be a widespread perception among people I talked to this morning that you can only vote early if you are going to be outside the electorate on the 20th.

          In fact ANYONE CAN VOTE RIGHT NOW and YOU DO NOT NEED AN EASIVOTE CARD. Spread the word.

          • AB 1.1.2.1.1
            3 September 2014 at 2:55 pm

            Me too, as we will be overseas from tomorrow. If you are in your own electorate it is dead easy – exactly the same as election day proper without the queues.

    • ScottGN 1.2
      3 September 2014 at 11:15 am

      Isn’t the easyvote card designed to be used if you’re voting on election day at a booth in your electorate? I don’t think you need the card if you’re making a special vote which is what all these early votes will be?

      • Tracey 1.2.1
        3 September 2014 at 12:42 pm

        Special votes don’t get counted til after election day? Are you saying these votes wont count on the night, per se?

        • mickysavage 1.2.1.1
          3 September 2014 at 1:03 pm

          I am sure they are counted on the day and from memory are often the first result announced.

          • ScottGN 1.2.1.1.1
            3 September 2014 at 2:55 pm

            I think you’re right mickey. These early votes will be the first votes to be dumped into the computer at 7pm on election night. Special votes cast on the day take longer because they have to be sent to the returning officer in the electorate they apply to to be checked and counted.

          • Tracey 1.2.1.1.2
            3 September 2014 at 3:14 pm

            thanks, i had thought that was the case

        • ScottGN 1.2.1.2
          3 September 2014 at 3:10 pm

          Sorry Tracey – I got mixed up as to what qualified as a special vote. See Lindsay below at 4.1.2.

    • weka 1.3
      3 September 2014 at 11:57 am

      “Do you need the easyvote card in order to vote early?”

      You don’t ‘need’ the easyvote card to vote in any way at all, it’s optional.

      Easyvote cards are being mailed out around the 13th. I think you can use them for advance voting as well as on the 20th.

      http://www.elections.org.nz/voters/voting-election/easyvote-cards-make-it-easy

      • Lanthanide 1.3.1
        3 September 2014 at 12:20 pm

        “You don’t ‘need’ the easyvote card to vote in any way at all, it’s optional.”

        No, but it’s makes it easier. Hence the name. The site you linked to even says this:
        “You can vote without your EasyVote card but it will take longer.”

        • Tracey 1.3.1.1
          3 September 2014 at 12:42 pm

          That’s like when McDonalds tell you you have to wait 2 minutes and people think the world has ended

  2. Tiger Mountain 2
    3 September 2014 at 11:40 am

    important info,
    …and WHO to vote for copied from open mike,
    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/09/03/the-daily-blog-2014-progressive-voter-guide-who-to-vote-for-to-change-the-government/
    TDB’s opinion but the only “all seats” guide I have seen so far.

    While party loyalists will in their hearts want you to vote for their team the fact is using the above guidelines,a party vote for Labour, Green or Internet Mana is highly unlikely to be a wasted vote and will benefit the left bloc overall. Whereas voting rats and mice (e.g. Democrats for Social Credit) will definitely be a wasted vote with the high threshold, and even the higher polling Colonservatives and Winston could end up as vote wasters by cannibalising each other just sub 5%.

  3. Enough is Enough 3
    3 September 2014 at 11:46 am

    The Greens are off to a winning start.

    Two ticks made today.

    Heaven knows what will happen between now and elections day so I have made sure my vote counts already.

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      3 September 2014 at 11:55 am

      Which means if some big scandal erupts with the Greens, it’s too late to change your vote.

      • Enough is Enough 3.1.1
        3 September 2014 at 11:59 am

        Well that stands true if a big scandal erupts with the Greens two days after the election.

        • Lanthanide 3.1.1.1
          3 September 2014 at 12:18 pm

          Yes, except 2 days after the election you can’t vote any more.

          It’s not the same prior to the election.

      • weka 3.1.2
        3 September 2014 at 12:00 pm

        lolz, what like we find out that lprent has been secretly taking bribes from them? Or karol!!

        • Lanthanide 3.1.2.1
          3 September 2014 at 12:17 pm

          Just pointing out it’s a risk.

          Anyone who votes National before the 15th might regret it afterwards.

          • Enough is Enough 3.1.2.1.1
            3 September 2014 at 1:28 pm

            Your vote is always a risk.

            There is a miniscule risk the Greens will do something between now and polling day that would cause me to regret my decision

            I think the far greater risk in me being sick on election day or not being able to vote for wherever reason on that day.

            It is important to make your voice count. Vote early peeps.

  4. Sookie 4
    3 September 2014 at 11:48 am

    Voting tomorrow as in the middle of moving from one end of the country to the other. You don’t need an Easyvote card to vote early, nor is it counted as a special. Going to be Labour/Labour and Greens/Labour for us 🙂

    • Lanthanide 4.1
      3 September 2014 at 11:57 am

      I’m not so concerned if it’s a ‘special’ vote or not, what I’m interested in is how much hassle it is to do an early vote.

      With the easy vote card, you just show it to the person, they find your name on the roll and put a line through it, then you vote. Is the early vote process the same, or more time-consuming?

      • weka 4.1.1
        3 September 2014 at 12:02 pm

        oh for god’s sake Lanth. It’s not a hassle to vote if you are enrolled and voting in your own electorate. You go along and give them your name and address and the look it up and then give you your voting papers. Are you really concerned about 5 minutes out of your day as opposed to 2 minutes?

        • Lanthanide 4.1.1.1
          3 September 2014 at 12:19 pm

          I am trying to find out *how* much hassle it is. This does not sound like much hassle, on the other hand it does still sound like more hassle than just voting on the 20th.

          I was thinking I could just take my easy vote card in and vote early. Seems like that isn’t the case.

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1
            3 September 2014 at 12:22 pm

            Once you get your easyvote card around the 13th, you can use it to advance vote, or wait until the 20th. You will get more choice of voting places on the 20th perhaps. But then more other people voting, so it might take longer if there is a queue.

            • Lanthanide 4.1.1.1.1.1
              3 September 2014 at 12:40 pm

              I was planning to early vote next weekend as that’s when the most convenient early-vote location opens for me.

      • Lindsey 4.1.2
        3 September 2014 at 12:23 pm

        It is not a Special Vote. As long as you are in your electorate, it is just an early vote. Rock up – give your name, get the papers and do it!

      • Tracey 4.1.3
        3 September 2014 at 12:44 pm

        “With the easy vote card, you just show it to the person, they find your name on the roll and put a line through it, then you vote. Is the early vote process the same, or more time-consuming?”

        instead you will say it for them. You could write your name very clearly on a piece of paper, hand it to them and say your name, and then they scroll through to find it…

        • Lanthanide 4.1.3.1
          3 September 2014 at 12:48 pm

          So basically the controlling factor is them crossing your name off the roll.

          With the easyvote card, the page and line number is printed so they can flip right to it and cross you out.

          Without the easyvote card, they have to look it up manually. Slightly slower, but not significantly so.

      • Brendon 4.1.4
        3 September 2014 at 4:17 pm

        If you don’t have an easy vote card you just tell the person your name and they find it on the roll, put a line through it, give you the voting forms, and you vote. The difference between having a voting card and not is about 3.679 seconds.

  5. ScottGN 5
    3 September 2014 at 12:05 pm

    Apparently Cunliffe voted today. What are the TV networks going to do? They always lead the 6 o’clock news on election night with footage of the two contenders casting their ballots.

  6. finbar 6
    3 September 2014 at 3:45 pm

    Four hundred thousand,they say are not registerd to vote this time.They say, all the work we have done,has some results.Who are unregistered to vote we cannot say,it seems that to be register to vote commentators say its our youths indulence.

  7. Toby 7
    3 September 2014 at 8:32 pm

    Does anyone know why if KimDotcom is hoping to change peoples votes on the 15th of September he also appears to be promoting a ‘vote early’ message?

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