MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 24 July 2009

Chief Electoral Office Electoral Enrolment Centre
Ministry of Justice

One Week To Go Until Referendum Voting Starts

Voting in the Citizens Initiated Referendum starts in less than a week – with time running out to enrol to take part.

Voting in the referendum on the question “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand” opens on Friday 31 July.

Anyone not enrolled by Thursday 30 July cannot take part in the referendum.

“The enrolment deadline of 30 July is almost here. Anyone who hasn’t enrolled yet needs to do it today,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager of the Electoral Enrolment Centre.

“Anyone who enrols after 30 July will not get a voting paper in the mail and will not be able to take part.

“People needing to enrol or update their details should fill in an enrolment form now. To ensure your enrolment gets to us in time the best thing to do is fill in a form at the elections website www.elections.org.nz, print and sign it and then send in to us straight away. Alternatively, you can fill in a form at any PostShop and hand it to a staff member while you are there,” says Mr Wicks.

The Chief Electoral Office is preparing the approximately three million voting packs to be sent out in the mail.

“The referendum voting papers are being printed and prepared now,” says Robert Peden, Chief Electoral Officer. “People will start to get their voting papers in the mail from Friday 31 July.

“Voting papers will be sent in the mail and must be returned in the mail. We are advising voters to get their voting papers in the mail by Thursday 20 August to ensure they get to us in time,” says Mr Peden.

ENDS

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