Your choice: a guide to the election

In 32 days New Zealanders head to the polls to choose the next government and have their say on the voting system. Andrea Vance takes you through the basics.

When is the election?

The general election and referendum on the voting system will be held on November 26. Advance and overseas voting – for those who can't get to a polling station on election day – starts on November 9. Preliminary results are released from 7 o'clock on the night. Official results will be declared on December 10.

What are we voting for?

To elect all members of Parliament for the next three years. The referendum is to give the public a say on how Parliament is elected in the future. Currently the system is mixed member proportional (MMP). Voters will be asked if they want to keep MMP or change, and which of the four other options they would pick as an alternative. Why are we having a referendum?

National made a pre-election promise to hold a referendum on MMP by no later than 2011. It is being held alongside the general election to help ensure a high voter turnout.

What happens after the referendum?

If at least half the voters opt to keep MMP, there will be an independent review of the system next year by the Electoral Commission. If more than half the voters opt to change, Parliament will decide if there will be another binding referendum in 2014 – between MMP and the alternative voting system that gets the most support in November.

Who can vote?

About three million people are eligible to vote. To enrol you must be over 18, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and have lived here for one or more years. You can't vote if you have been a compulsory patient in a hospital or secure facility for longer than three years. A new law passed last year disqualifies people sentenced to a jail term from voting.

How do I vote?

Enrol online at https:/secure.elections.org.nz/app/enrol/

You will receive an Easyvote card in the mail. On election day go to a polling station between 9am and 7pm. Present the card or a letter from the Electoral Commission chief electoral officer. You can vote without either but must give your name and address to the issuing officer.

You will then be given a ballot paper and directed to a private booth. Tick the name of the political party you prefer and the candidate you most want to represent your electorate.

What is an Easyvote card?

It shows where your name is on the printed electoral roll to make it easier for polling staff to issue ballot papers.

Numbers on the card are the page and line number of the electoral roll where your name is. If you do not enrol to vote by Writ Day (October 26) you will receive a letter from the Electoral Commission chief electoral officer, as your name won't be on the roll.

What if I can't get to a polling place in my electorate?

You can cast a special declaration vote at any polling place and must apply in advance to a returning officer for the papers. Voting facilities are also provided for eligible voters who are in hospitals, maternity homes or rest homes.

What are advance votes?

An advance vote can be cast if you can't get to a polling place on election day, from November 9 until November 25. There are advance voting places or ballot papers can be sent in the mail or collected for you by someone else.

Can I vote if I live overseas?

Yes, if you are a New Zealand citizen and have visited in the last three years or a permanent resident of New Zealand and visited in the last year. Apply to the Electoral Commission for postal voting papers, download them or vote in person at an overseas post.

How many seats?

There are 120 seats unless there is an "overhang", caused by a party winning more electoral seats than its share of the party vote would provide

What is the difference between party vote and electorate vote?

An electorate contest is to choose a local MP. There are roughly 40,000 voters in each electorate. The party vote is to choose your preferred party.

What is a list MP?

Elected from a party list rather than voted for by a constituency. A list is a formal nomination of candidates in the order a party wants them to enter Parliament. There are 50 list MPs, the other 70 are electorate MPs.

Does a party need to win a certain number of votes?

A party must win at least 5 per cent of all the party votes or at least one electorate seat to qualify for a share of all the seats.

Under MMP, the chief electoral officer uses the Sainte-Lague Formula to allocate parliamentary seats to parties that crossed the threshold.

What is a Maori seat?

One of seven special electorates which elect one MP through the votes of Maori or those of Maori descent, registered on the Maori roll, in that area Maori electoral boundaries overlap general electorate boundaries, so every part of the country is in both a general seat and in a Maori seat.

Why does the Government choose coalition partners?

Neither National nor Labour has won enough seats to govern without support from other groups since 1996, meaning that support from other parties is required to govern and pass legislation.

How much does an election cost?

The last general election, in 2008, cost $36 million. The bill includes hiring temporary staff, polling booths, renting property for polling stations, printing ballot papers and sending out information.

Source:  Stuff