27 August 2025
Andrew Mardon
By email to:
[FYI request #32032 email]
Kia ora Andrew
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 2025/60
On Monday 18 August 2025, you made a request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA)
for the following information:
I am requesting the number of enrolled voters who have been moved to or from the dormant
roll by month since 2014 (or as far back as data allows)
To further clarify I am requesting separate totals showing those moved onto the dormant roll
and those moved off each month as well as a total number of voters who have been removed
entirely from the electoral roll (e.g due to death or other ineligibility)
We have attached a spreadsheet with a monthly breakdown of electors who have been placed on
the dormant roll or have been marked as no longer eligible. This data includes the count of electors
made dormant or ineligible for any length of time from January 1, 2009 - August 25, 2025 and any
electors who have re-enrolled from the dormant roll or after a period of ineligibility onto the main
electoral roll. Please see the about this data tab for information on how these statistics were
compiled.
People are moved to the dormant roll if we lose touch with them, for example, if we get returned
mail from an old address, and go back on the main roll when they update their address with us. A
person can still cast a special vote if they are on the dormant roll. As soon as they re-enrol, they are
moved from the dormant roll to the main roll. If an elector on the dormant roll does not re-enrol,
then after 3 years, by law they have to be removed from the dormant roll and become ineligible to
vote.
The dormant roll process is set out in the Electoral Act. It’s important for the integrity of the
electoral roll that people are listed at their current address. It ensures that voters are eligible to vote
in the ward or electorate where they live.
An elector must be removed from a dormant roll after 3 years if they have not re-enrolled during
this time period. An elector also can be marked as no longer eligible if the Electoral Commission is
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
notified the elector is deceased or of a prison sentence longer than allowed for eligibility under the
Electoral Act, or if the elector is overseas and no longer qualifies.
In the interests of transparency, we release responses to Official Information Act requests every 3
months. We will publish this response with your personal details redacted.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to make a complaint to the Ombudsman if you are
not satisfied with the response to your request. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Beth Kreitzer
Manager Data and Insights
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
