A conversation in an Auckland barber shop raised a simple question: if voting in New Zealand is relatively accessible, why are so many eligible young people still not enrolled?
WEBFIT NEWS EDITORIAL
Sometimes an important conversation begins in the most ordinary place.
For me, this one started in a local barber shop.
My barber is an immigrant who has called New Zealand home for more than 30 years. His family is here. His life is here. He has watched governments change, elections come and go, and political arguments repeat themselves.
We were talking about politics when he made a simple point.
It did not matter to him whether somebody supported National, Labour, ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori or another party.
His message was simply:
Vote.
Particularly if you are young.
You can support the government. You can strongly disagree with it. You can think another party would do a better job. You can even feel that none of the parties properly represents you.
But democracy only hears the people who participate.
And with New Zealand heading towards the 2026 General Election on Saturday, 7 November, the numbers make that conversation worth having.
The number that should get our attention
As of 23 September 2026, Electoral Commission figures showed:
| 18 to 24-year-olds | Number |
|---|---|
| Estimated eligible population | 440,692 |
| Enrolled to vote | 269,037 |
| Enrolment rate | 61.0% |
| Estimated eligible but not enrolled | Around 172,000 |
That means almost 4 in every 10 potentially eligible New Zealanders aged 18 to 24 were not enrolled at that point.
That is not a small gap.
Look at the difference by age
The contrast becomes even clearer when younger New Zealanders are compared with older age groups.
| Age group | Enrolment rate* |
|---|---|
| 18–24 | 61.0% |
| 45–49 | 94.7% |
| 55–59 | 98.0% |
| 60–64 | 96.0% |
*Electoral Commission enrolment figures as at 23 September 2026.
The message from these numbers is straightforward.
Older New Zealanders are far more likely to be registered and ready to participate.
If younger people want their priorities to be heard politically, getting enrolled is the first basic step.
But young people DO vote
There is another important part of this story.
It would be unfair to simply say young New Zealanders do not care about elections.
At the 2023 General Election, turnout among people who were actually enrolled looked like this:
| Age group | 2023 turnout |
|---|---|
| 18–24 | 74.2% |
| 25–29 | 69.1% |
| 60–64 | 83.3% |
| 65–69 | 85.3% |
| All enrolled voters | 78.2% |
So nearly three out of four enrolled 18 to 24-year-olds voted in 2023.
That tells us something important.
The issue is not simply:
“Young people don't vote.”
The picture is more complicated.
A significant challenge is getting eligible young people enrolled in the first place.
Why do people not vote?
The Electoral Commission's research following the 2023 General Election also challenges the assumption that everyone who does not vote simply cannot be bothered.
Among non-voters surveyed, some of the main reasons were:
18% cited personal barriers, including work, health or other commitments.
16% cited voting-process issues, including not being enrolled or not knowing how to vote.
15% said they did not know who to vote for.
9% cited not believing in voting or not being bothered.
That distinction matters.
Non-participation is not always apathy.
Sometimes people are busy.
Sometimes they are confused about the process.
Sometimes they do not know enough about the candidates or parties to feel comfortable making a choice.
Those are barriers that can be addressed.
2026: Know these dates
There is also an important change voters need to understand for this year's election.
2026 General Election timeline
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sunday, 25 October | Deadline to enrol or update enrolment details |
| Monday, 26 October | Advance voting begins |
| Saturday, 7 November | Election Day |
For the 2026 election, people need to be enrolled before voting begins.
Once enrolled, you can vote at any voting place in New Zealand.
An EasyVote card can make the process quicker, but you do not need the card itself to cast your vote.
So there is little reason to leave enrolment until the last minute.
You don't have to love a political party
Perhaps this was the most valuable part of that barber-shop conversation.
Voting does not require you to become politically obsessed.
You don't need to:
join a political party
put a political sign outside your house
argue with strangers online
agree with everything one party says
become an expert on every policy
What you should do is inform yourself.
Look at what the parties are proposing.
Look at their previous actions and records.
Look at the candidates standing in your electorate.
Think about the issues that affect you, your family and the country.
Then make your own decision.
Whether your vote ultimately goes to National, Labour, ACT, Green, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori, another party or an electorate candidate is entirely your choice.
Webfit News is not here to make that decision for you.
For migrant communities, this conversation matters too
There is another reason this barber-shop conversation stayed with me.
The man making the argument was himself an immigrant.
Like thousands of migrants across New Zealand, he has spent decades building a life here.
Migrant communities:
run businesses
work across New Zealand industries
raise families here
pay taxes
employ people
volunteer in communities
buy homes
send their children to New Zealand schools
contribute to New Zealand society
Those who meet New Zealand's electoral eligibility requirements have the same opportunity to participate in choosing their representatives.
Importantly, voting eligibility is not restricted only to New Zealand citizens.
Some permanent residents and others who meet the Electoral Commission's definition of an eligible resident may also be able to enrol and vote.
If you are uncertain about your eligibility, check it rather than simply assuming you cannot vote.
One election. Two votes.
New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system.
At a general election, voters normally have two votes:
Party vote:
This helps determine how many seats each political party receives in Parliament.
Electorate vote:
This chooses the MP who represents your local electorate.
You do not have to give both votes to the same political party.
Understanding that basic distinction alone can make voting less confusing for first-time voters.
Your vote will not always produce the government you want
That is democracy.
Sometimes the party you support wins.
Sometimes it loses.
Sometimes parties need coalition partners to form a government.
Sometimes a government makes decisions you strongly support.
Sometimes it makes decisions you strongly oppose.
Voting does not guarantee that you will get the outcome you want.
It guarantees something more fundamental:
you participated in choosing it.
The Webfit News view
Governments should be questioned.
Opposition parties should be questioned.
Politicians from every political party should face scrutiny.
People should be free to criticise policies, challenge decisions and demand better from those who represent them.
But participation matters too.
One vote among millions can feel insignificant.
Yet an election is nothing more than millions of individual decisions counted together.
So our message, particularly to younger New Zealanders and first-time voters, is simple:
Get informed.
Get enrolled.
Make your own choice.
And vote.
Not because Webfit News tells you who deserves your vote.
Because the decision about who represents you should include your voice.
New Zealand votes on Saturday, 7 November 2026.
Enrolment closes at midnight on Sunday, 25 October.
Don't leave your decision for somebody else to make.
Webfit News Editorial
