OIAPG629 Simon Green Letter.pdf

9 September 2025

Simon Green
[FYI request #31770 email]

Dear Simon

Official Information Act request: Electoral law reform

I refer to your email of  27  July 2025  to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry),  requesting
information under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), regarding electoral law reform.
On 5 August 2025, the Ministry transferred your request in full under section 14 of the Act to
my office for a response. Specifically, you requested:

I write to request all documents relating to the Ministry's advice to the Minister of
Justice regarding the upcoming electoral law reforms. I would like to see information
regarding the Minister's priorities for the reform - for example, would he like to prioritise
enfranchisement, or cost reduction. I would like to see the Ministry's modelling on the
possible effects on enfranchisement vs costs and time to complete an electoral count.
I would also like to see any other suggestions that the Ministry may have offered which
could effect time savings without any detriment to enfranchisement such as beginning
the postal and special ballot count before election day whilst keeping the partial results
secret.

In response to your request please find attached the documents requested.  The list of
documents and my decisions on their release are provided in the appendix.Some information
has been withheld under the following provisions of the Act:

•  section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons,
•  section 9(2)(f)(ii) to protect collective ministerial responsibility,
•  section 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain the constitutional conventions that protect confidentiality
of advice tendered by Ministers and officials,
•  section 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions.

In accordance with section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in making
available the information being withheld, and determined that it does not outweigh the need
to withhold the information at this time.  I am also refusing part of your request under section
18(d) of the Act as the information is publicly available.

If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Of ice
of the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Ombudsman may be contacted by
email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.

Yours sincerely

Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Justice

Appendix: Documents in scope of your request

Number  Date
Document
Type
Title/Subject Line
Decision on release
Progressing your electoral law reform through the Electoral
1
11/04/2024
Briefing
Some information withheld under
Mat ers Bill
sections (9)(2)(a) and (9)(2)(f)(iv) of Act
Report of the Electoral Commission on the 2023 General
2
17/05/2024
Briefing
Some information withheld under
Election
section (9)(2)(a) of the Act
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
3
06/11/2024
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Options to improve the timeliness of the  as the information is publicly available
vote count
on the Ministry’s website at: Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
4
06/12/2024
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Options to improve the efficiency of
as the information is publicly available
electoral processes
on the Ministry’s website at: Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
5
06/12/2024
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Continuity of government and Electoral  as the information is publicly available
Commission governance
on the Ministry’s website at: Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
6
06/12/2024
Briefing
Proposed approach to the Government response to the
Some information withheld under
Justice Commit ee Inquiry into the 2023 General Election
section (9)(2)(a) of the Act
7
11/02/2025
Aide memoire  Electoral Matters Bil : Decisions for further discussion
Released in full
Electoral Matters Bil  and Government response to the
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
8
06/03/2025
Briefing
Inquiry into the 2023 General Election: Final decisions and
as the information is publicly available
draft Cabinet papers
on the Ministry’s website at: Electoral-

Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
9
24/03/2025
Briefing
Additional electoral reforms: updated and draft Cabinet
as the information is publicly available
papers
on the Ministry’s website at:  Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf

link to page 4

Number  Date
Document
Type
Title/Subject Line
Decision on release
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
Regulatory
as the information is publicly available
10
26/03/025
Impact
Regulatory Impact Statement: Setting an advance voting
on the Ministry’s website at:  Regulatory
Statement
period
Impact Assessments | New Zealand
Ministry of Justice
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
11
26/03/2025
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Advice on options to prevent improper
as the information is publicly available
influence over electors
on the Ministry’s website at:  Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
Regulatory
as the information is publicly available
12
27/03/2025
Impact
Regulatory Impact Statement: Improving the timeliness of the  on the Ministry’s website at:  Regulatory
Statement
official vote count
Impact Assessments | New Zealand
Ministry of Justice
13
07/04/2025
Aide memoire  Paper 1: Electoral Mat ers Bill – Policy approvals (timeliness  Some information withheld under
and efficiency) for Cabinet
section (9)(2)(f)(i ) of the Act
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
as the information is publicly available
14
06/05/2025
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Exceptions to the enrolment deadline
and drafting clarifications
on the Ministry of Justice website at:
Electoral-Mat ers-
Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
15
13/05/2025
Briefing
Electoral Matters Bil : Voting rights for people detained in a
as the information is publicly available
hospital or secure facility1
on the Ministry’s website at:  Electoral-
Matters-Bil _Combined_FINAL.pdf
Regulatory
16
16/06/2025
Impact
Regulatory Impact Statement: Strengthening electoral
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
Statement
offences relating to improper influence
as the information is publicly available

1 Information in an earlier release of papers relating to the prisoner voting ban that are relevant to the Electoral Matters bill can be found online: Proactive release - Prisoner voting

Number  Date
Document
Type
Title/Subject Line
Decision on release
on the Ministry’s website at:  Regulatory
Impact Assessments | New Zealand
Ministry of Justice
Refused under section 18(d) of the Act,
Supplementary
as the information is publicly available
17
17/06/2025
Analysis
Supplementary Analysis Report – Implementing a ban on
on the Ministry’s website at:  Regulatory
Report
prisoner voting, and the voting rights of detained people
Impact Assessments | New Zealand
Ministry of Justice
Some information withheld under
18
307/06/2025
Aide memoire  Electoral Matters Legislation Amendment Bil  – Cabinet
discussions
sections (9)(2)(f)(ii) and (9)(2)(f)(iv) of
the Act
19
30/06/2025
Aide memoire  Electoral Matters Legislation Amendment Bil : NZBORA
Some information withheld under
compliance
section (9)(2)(f)(ii) of the Act