A guide to accessible voting in the General Election

Voting in Aotearoa New Zealand has opened. If you’re enrolled to vote, you can vote any time from now until 7pm on Saturday 7 November (election day). Voting is a powerful way for you to have a say in who makes decisions that affect you and disabled communities for the next three years. It’s up to all of us to choose what future we want for Aotearoa.

We’ve compiled some information on accessible voting to help you get your vote in. If you’re still deciding who to vote for, check out our Election 2026 series which give you policy breakdowns for each party on housing, transport, disability policy, funding, healthcare, education, employment and accessibility.

Using the voting map

You can visit map.vote.nz to help you identify voting places near you, alongside their opening hours and accessibility rating. All places are assessed for accessibility features, such as whether there are ramps or handrails at the entrance, whether there are any obstacles or uneven surfaces between the street and entrance, the availability of parking, and its proximity to public transport.

Each location on the voting map is categorised under three accessibility categories:

1. Full accessibility, meaning anyone should be able to independently access and navigate the building

2. Partial accessibility, meaning the location may have a step, or a steep ramp to enter the building

3. None, meaning the building has no accessibility features.

If you’re looking for a quieter time to vote, the best times are typically between 9-11am and between 2-4pm on Monday to Friday.

If you need a support person

You can have a friend, family member or electoral official as a support person to help read or mark your voting papers. They can go behind the voting screen with you, read the information on the voting papers and mark the voting papers on your behalf if you ask them to.

Telephone dictation voting

You can use this service if you’re blind, partially blind or have a physical disability that means you can’t mark your voting papers without assistance. You must register to use the telephone dictation service before noon (NZT) on election day, Saturday 7 November. Register by calling 0800 028 028 and selecting option 1, or emailing dictation@vote.nz

Voting with the telephone dictation service is also open now and closes at 7pm on election day, Saturday 7 November. You can vote by calling 0800 028 028 from within New Zealand or +64 4 471 2000 from overseas (international calling rates may apply). You will need to select option 2 to vote, and provide your registration number and answer the secret question you selected when registering.

The dictation voting hours in NZST are:

Monday to Friday: 9am-7pm
Saturday: 9am-3pm
Election Day, Saturday 7 November: 9am-7pm

Voting places with NZSL interpreters available

NZSL interpreters will be available at these sites at set dates and times.

Voting places with a low sensory environment

New to the General Election this year are quiet voting places that have reduced noise, softer lighting and fewer visual distractions. The Commission has partnered with AutismNZ to provide the same services as other voting places but in a low sensory environment. There is one of these in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, all open on Sunday 1 November from 10am-2pm, and they will be attended by neurodivergent staff. The guide to neurodivergent voting places details what happens at these locations. If you have questions about them, you can email research@autismnz.org.nz.

If you’re voting from hospital or a care home

If you have further questions

If you’re in New Zealand, you can call 0800 36 76 56 for support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can find and contact your electorate manager.

If you’re overseas, you can call +64 9 909 4182 (international calling rates may apply) or email overseas@vote.nz.

All of the above information is available in audio, Braille, Easy Read, large print or NZSL format on the vote.nz website.