Legal Beagle by Graeme Edgeler

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Legal Beagle: Election Fact Check #3: It shouldn't be this way

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  • Graeme Edgeler,

    I do that almost every time. Comments now open.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I don’t want to be overly negative, but please get stuff like this right, and please check if you’re not sure: there was a lot of good in the article, and I don’t want it undone.

    No, Graeme please be extremely negative because there's no excuse for getting something so basic so badly wrong. This isn't some recondite piece of political nerd-fu, people, and even if your subs were suffering from a post-final hangover surely the Elections folks would be happy to do the fack-checking for you?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    it's kinda funny that no-one checked

    Don't be silly. Paying fact-checkers might reduce this quarter's profit.

    You should invoice the publisher for your efforts here.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Excellent thank you - I'm giggling over the thought of people breaking out of jail in order to vote .....

    presumably people on remand (ie not yet convicted of anything) are also allowed to vote?

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    (oh and are those on weekend furlough the week before allowed to cast absentee ballots?)

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I don't want to be overly negative, but please get stuff like this right, and please check if you're not sure: there was a lot of good in the article, and I don't want it undone.

    I guess it's not as bad as the hanging chads fiasco that was the 2000 presidential count in Florida. Still, is there any clause in the Electoral Act that safeguards against misleading of voters?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    So don’t forget to enrol. And don’t forget to vote!

    Yes, Vote early, Vote Labour, Vote often.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I wonder why we don't have a motor-voter type system, which would be straightforward with current information systems.

    Driving license applications and renewals could be cross checked against immigration / citizenship databases (which they are already to some extent, in that a passport/birth/citizenship certificate is required for initial ID). The same could be done with passports, tax file numbers and benefit/student loan applications, for those that don't drive.

    Then a very large percentage of the country would get registered and one would just have to show ID in order to vote.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Well ours is (or rather was) based on that form you fill in when you file your change of address with the Post Office - the PO used to do all the enrollment back in the day before it was semi-privatised

    Somewhere there's a list, maybe driven from school records - both my kids (NZ citizens but born overseas so it isn't driven from birth records) received nice letters congratulating them on their upcoming 18th birthdays and inviting them to register to vote

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    The Electoral Commission use postal changes of address and the like to track peoples changes of status and invite them to register. My suggestion is to go a stage further and if the records indicate that someone is eligible to vote, then register them automatically.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Halfway through the election period and this time around there's so far zero television presence from Elections NZ reminding people to enrol.
    Why?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to 3410,

    I've been seeing TV adverts all through RWC games, for one.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    My suggestion is to go a stage further and if the records indicate that someone is eligible to vote, then register them automatically.

    And put them on the published roll?

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    I've been seeing TV adverts all through RWC games, for one.

    Good to know. I thought I'd been keeping enough of eye out to see them if they were there.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    I wonder why we don’t have a motor-voter type system, which would be straightforward with current information systems.

    Who else is seeing the potential for electoral fraud increasing exponentially? I've been at this address for eight years, and am still getting mail (including correspondence from the IRD) for the previous owner's tenants. I guess not everyone is as anal about making change of address cards part of moving house.

    And as Emma alluded to, I can imagine there are a reasonable number of women who would prefer not to have their addresses automatically available to any stalker or abusive ex- who spends a few minutes at the nearest large library.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    presumably people on remand (ie not yet convicted of anything) are also allowed to vote?

    Yes. The operative word is "sentenced".

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    Well ours is (or rather was) based on that form you fill in when you file your change of address with the Post Office – the PO used to do all the enrollment back in the day before it was semi-privatised

    They still do. The Electoral Enrolment Centre is a business unit of New Zealand Post.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Still, is there any clause in the Electoral Act that safeguards against misleading of voters?

    Yes. Winston Peters (I think) got them to add one a few years' back. However, it only applies on election day and during the 48 hours before it.

    It happens to be the reason I always got annoyed with Jim Anderton's argument in favour of the Electoral Finance Act. The things he was complaining of (a misleading ad drop shortly before the election) were more illegal (i.e. much stiffer penalty) under the old law than they were under the law he was promoting to remedy his concern.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Then a very large percentage of the country would get registered

    A very large percentage of the country is registered :-)

    We're recognised as world leaders in electoral enrolments.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I'm sure one could have a checkbox on tax and driver forms as to whether one wanted to be on the published roll.

    In terms of preventing fraud, at the moment we rely on the idea that one has to re-register each year (?) at home and then vote at a local polling booth, where they tick you off a manual list. That could be replaced by a system where you go to any polling booth, show id and get checked off a national computer register and given a ballot paper.

    (I don't advocate fully electronic voting because of the scope for abuse, but semi-electronic voting would seem sensible).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,

    91%, but only 73% in the 18-24 bracket.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    In terms of preventing fraud, at the moment we rely on the idea that one has to re-register each year (?) at home and then vote at a local polling booth, where they tick you off a manual list.

    You do not need to re-register every year (or even every three). We run a continuous enrolment system, whereby people are enrolled until there is reason to remove them. Before each election, the Electoral Enrolment Centre sends every registered voter a letter, but if the enrolment details are unchanged, nothing needs to be returned.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    only 73% in the 18-24 bracket

    I suspect that in part that's to do with the great mobility of that age group, as almost all the processes in getting enrolled and staying enrolled are implemented by letter and paper forms. I have had some involvement with dealing with the issues around returned mail for EEC correspondence and while it's amazing what they do to try and stay in touch, there are limits when people move from flat to flat and don't leave forwarding addresses.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Sacha,

    Bloody Gumby again. I loathe that orange twerp.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    I suspect that in part that’s to do with the great mobility of that age group, as almost all the processes in getting enrolled and staying enrolled are implemented by letter and paper forms. I have had some involvement with dealing with the issues around returned mail for EEC correspondence and while it’s amazing what they do to try and stay in touch, there are limits when people move from flat to flat and don’t leave forwarding addresses.

    In which case, TXT or social networking sites could fill the vacuum.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

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