Nā Hora Kairangi Nicholas tēnei atikara
For many first-time voters, the countdown to the 2026 General Election has already begun.
The first major deadline arrives on August 6, the final day eligible voters can switch between the General Roll and the Māori Roll before this year's election.
"People were asking, 'What's the difference? We don't know.'" Christchurch Youth Council member Kiwikiwi Hawes (Ngāi Tūhoe) says many rangatahi are asking the same question.
While Election Day is still months away, youth advocates such as Hawes believe many rangatahi remain unaware of key election dates, how the voting system works and the differences between the General Roll and the Māori Roll. They say better access to information and stronger civics education are essential to ensuring young people can fully participate in this year's election.
“Knowing the differences for the rolls, Can we vote for the same people? How is it different?” Hawes says.
Hawes also volunteers with Mana Tipua, an Ōtautahi-based organisation supporting takatāpui Māori rangatahi. They say many rangatahi Māori want to see more from government, more kaupapa Māori, stronger support for te reo Māori, greater food sovereignty, legal protections for takatāpui communities and, above all, Māori involved in shaping the decisions that affect them.
Deputy Chair of the Christchurch Youth Council, Ashwini Raazesh said civic education remains one of the biggest barriers to youth participation.
"I think schools don't really do enough to teach young people about our political system and civics.” Raazesh added that their council plans to take that information directly to rangatahi through visits to kura and community spaces.
"Young people deserve to know what's going on. They deserve to be brought up with that knowledge because it's a big part of our lives."
The call comes as turnout data continues to show younger voters participate at lower rates than older New Zealanders. In the 2023 General Election, turnout among Māori aged 18 to 24 was more than five percentage points lower than for non-Māori in the same age group.
Raazesh believes improving civic education from an early age would help close that gap.
"Civics education is the foundation of empowering young people to enrol and participate," she said.
For voters, the election timeline is already underway.
Key dates to know:
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August 6: Deadline to switch between the General Roll and the Māori Roll.
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21 October: Overseas voting starts.
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25 October: Last day to enrol to vote in the election. People who turn 18 between this date and Election Day on November 7 must have enrolled before the deadline to be able to vote.
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October 26: Advance voting starts.
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November 7: Election Day.
For Hawes, the message is simple.
"If decisions are about Māori, we need to be there. We need to be part of those decisions."
And for anyone eligible to vote this year, the advice from those encouraging participation is just as clear: don't wait until the last minute. Check your enrolment, understand your options and make sure your voice can be counted when New Zealand heads to the polls in November.
New Zealand Electoral Rolls as relevant to the South Island:
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General Roll – Vote for the MP representing your local general electorate (such as Christchurch Central or Invercargill, depending on where you live), plus your preferred political party.
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Māori Roll – Māori voters who choose this roll vote for the Te Tai Tonga MP and a preferred political party.
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Unpublished Roll – Available to voters whose safety could be at risk if their details were public. You vote the same way as everyone else, but your name and address are not included on the public electoral roll.
He tokomaha ngā kaipōti hou ka tīmata kē te tatau iho ki te Pōtitanga Whānui o 2026.
Ko te 6 o Ākuhata te rā matua tuatahi e tata mai ana, arā, ko te rā whakamutunga mō ngā kaipōti whai mana ki te whakawhiti atu i te Rārangi Pōti Whānui ki te Rārangi Pōti Māori, i mua i te pōtitanga o tēnei tau.
"People were asking, 'What's the difference? We don't know.'" E ai ki a Kiwikiwi Hawes (Ngāi Tūhoe), he mema nō Te Rūnaka Taiohi o Ōtautahi, he pātai tēnei kei te ara ake i waenganui i ngā rangatahi.
Ahakoa kei ngā marama tonu te pōtitanga whānui e tū mai nei, e kī ana ngā kaitautoko rangatahi pēnei i a Hawes, he tokomaha tonu ngā rangatahi kāore anō kia mārama ki ngā rā whakahirahira o te pōtitanga, te āhua o te pūnaha pōti, me ngā rerekētanga i waenga i te Rārangi Pōti Whānui me te Rārangi Pōti Māori. E ai ki a rātou, me māmā ake te toro atu o ngā pārongo, me kaha ake hoki te whakaako i ngā kaupapa raraupori kia tino whai wāhi ai ngā rangatahi ki tēnei pōtitanga.
“Just knowing the differences for the rolls, Can we vote for the same people? How is it different? They’re like, we didn’t know.” I kī ia.
He kaitūao anō a Hawes ki Mana Tipua, he rōpū nō Ōtautahi e tautoko ana i ngā rangatahi takatāpui Māori. E ai ki a ia, he maha ngā rangatahi Māori e hiahia ana kia nui ake te mahi a te kāwanatanga, kia kaha ake ngā kaupapa Māori, kia tautokona ake te reo Māori, kia whai mana motuhake mō te kai, kia tiakina hoki ngā hapori takatāpui, ā, ko te mea nui, kia whai wāhi tonu a Māori ki te hanga i ngā whakatau e pā ana ki a rātou.
E ai ki te Heamana Tuarua o Te Rūnaka Taiohi o Ōtautahi, a Ashwini Raazesh, ko te mātauranga raraupori tētahi o ngā tino aukatinga ki te whai wāhi atu o ngā rangatahi.
"I think schools don't really do enough to teach young people about our political system and civics.” Hei tā Raazesh, ka kawea e te kaunihera aua pārongo ki ngā rangatahi mā te toro atu ki ngā kura me ngā hapori.
"Young people deserve to know what's going on. They deserve to be brought up with that knowledge because it's a big part of our lives."
Ka puta tēnei karanga i te wā e whakaatu tonu ana ngā tatauranga pōti he iti ake te whai wāhi a ngā kaipōti rangatahi i ērā kaipōti pakeke ake. I te Pōtitanga Whānui o 2023, he nui ake i te 5% te rerekētanga o te hunga pōti Māori 18 ki te 24 tau te pakeke ki raro iho i te hunga ehara i te Māori o taua reanga.
E whakapono ana a Raazesh mā te whakapakari i te mātauranga kirirarau mai i te tamarikitanga ka taea te whakaiti i taua āputa.
"Civics education is the foundation of empowering young people to enrol and participate," i kī ia.
Kua tīmata kē te wāhanga matua o te maramataka pōtitanga.
Ngā rā matua hei mōhio:
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6 Ākuhata: Koinei te rā whakamutunga ki te whakawhiti i waenga i te Rārangi Pōti Whānui me te Rārangi Pōti Māori.
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21 Whiringa-ā-nuku: Ka tīmata te wā pōti mō ngā kaipōti kei tāwāhi.
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25 Whiringa-ā-nuku: Koinei te rā whakamutunga ki te rēhita mō te pōti. Mō te hunga ka eke ki te 18 tau i waenga i tēnei rā me te rā pōti, arā, te 7 o Whiringa-ā-rangi, me mātua rēhita i mua i te mutunga o te wā rēhita kia āhei ai rātou ki te pōti.
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26 Whiringa-ā-nuku: Ka tīmata te pōti tōmua.
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7 Whiringa-ā-rangi: Koinei te rā pōti.
Hei tā Hawes, he mārama noa te karere.
"If decisions are about Māori, we need to be there. We need to be part of those decisions."
Mō te hunga katoa e āhei ana ki te pōti i tēnei tau, he mārama hoki te tohutohu: kaua e waiho kia tae ki te wā whakamutunga. Tirohia tō rēhitatanga, mārama ki ō kōwhiringa, kia taea ai tō reo te rangona i te wā ka haere a Aotearoa ki ngā pōti ā Whiringa-ā-rangi.
Ngā Rārangi Pōti o Aotearoa e hāngai ana ki Te Waipounamu:
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Rārangi Pōti Whānui – Ka pōti koe mō te mema pāremata o tō rohe pōti whānui, tae atu ki tō rōpū tōrangapū e hiahia ana koe.
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Rārangi Pōti Māori – Mā ngā kaipōti Māori kua kōwhiri i tēnei rārangi ka pōti mō te mema pāremata o Te Tai Tonga me tētahi rōpū tōrangapū e hiahia ana rātou.
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Rārangi Pōti Kāore i Whakaputaina – He rārangi mō ngā kaipōti ka raru pea tō rātou haumaru mēnā ka whakaputaina ā rātou pārongo. Ka taea tonu te pōti pēnei i ērā atu kaipōti, engari kāore tō ingoa me tō wāhi noho e kitea i te rārangi tūmatanui.
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