With just days to go until election day, hundreds of thousands of eligible New Zealanders could find themselves unable to have their say.

The rules governing this year’s election have undergone their biggest overhaul since MMP was introduced.

The Electoral Amendment Act 2025 has restricted the advance voting period to a 12-day window until the day before the election, with voter enrolment closing 13 days out.

Previously, voters could enroll or update their details until the day before election day by casting a special vote, except in 2020 and 2023, when same-day enrolment was allowed.

So, is this a sensible change, or a threat to our democratic process? And with voter turnout and enrolment already a concern, could the rules themselves influence the result?

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago politics lecturer Dr Bryce Edwards is with us to break down the changes, and what we should do next.

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