Labour MP sounds alarm about 115,000 on dormant electoral roll
Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime has raised concerns after discovering she was moved to the dormant electoral roll without notification. The Electoral Commission reports that 115,000 people are currently on the dormant roll, sparking fears about voter disenfranchisement.
Why it matters
The issue raises questions about the integrity and accessibility of the electoral process for citizens, particularly minority groups.
Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime is sounding the alarm after discovering she was moved on to the dormant electoral roll earlier this year without her knowledge.
Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne on Monday revealed about 115,000 people were currently on the dormant roll. That is about 25 percent lower than the same time in the 2023 election cycle, but Le Quesne said it was still "not good enough."
People were typically shifted onto the dormant roll if the Electoral Commission had tried and failed to get in touch them.
Voters would still be able to cast a ballot, but would have to go through the special vote process and would not be sent an EasyVote card.
Prime told RNZ she only discovered her dormant enrolment status "by chance" when she checked online in June, only to be told: "You are not currently enrolled", which she said was "misleading."
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