August 04, 2021
Maori Party wants continual Maori option
Submissions close tomorrow on whether the timing and frequency of the Māori Electoral Option should be changed.
The option, giving Māori voters the chance to switch between General or Māori electoral rolls, takes place every five to six years, after a census year
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi says he’s disappointed at the lack of promotion the Justice Ministry gave to the consultation.
The Māori Party agrees with the Electoral Commission’s 2017 recommendation Māori voters should be able to change roll type at any time.
He says the current system locks out voters.
“We already know that 24,000 people contacted the Electoral Office wanting to change rolls in last year’s election. We know 19,000 people have already contacted them this year, so that makes a huge considerable change to our participation, Maori participation in our democracy in Aotearoa and we need to allow a freer, easier process for people to engage in this space,” Mr Waititi says.
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