Axing Same-Day Enrolment To Vote Exposes Impact Of Govt Starving Another Key Agency Of Enough Funding
"We were shocked to see the Government propose several changes to electoral laws, especially the end to same-day voter enrolment," Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says.
"They say that the system - in other words, the Electoral Commission - can't handle the strain of same-day enrolment in the years to come.
"Why has the Government chosen to build obstacles around people's basic right to vote, instead of funding the Electoral Commission properly?"
Like many other public service agencies, the Electoral Commission has been forced to tighten its budget by the National-led Government and restructured its staff last year.
"At the time, we criticised that restructure process as rushed - and it eventually resulted in several highly skilled staff leaving the organisation.
"New Zealanders are rightfully proud of our democracy. But we also know that to maintain our democracy, we need to care for it and invest into it.
"New Zealanders want the public service to be given the tools - including the funding - to make sure voting is as easy as possible for everyone.
"100,000 people used the same-day enrolment process at the 2023 election. This is not a nice-to-have - this is a basic function of our democracy."
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