Time running out for flag referendum

 

The Electoral Commission is reminding voters that time is running out to take part in the first referendum on the New Zealand flag.

“To have your say in the referendum you need to make sure you’ve received, completed and sent back your voting paper before voting closes,” says Robert Peden, Chief Electoral Officer.

“If you haven’t received your voting paper yet, contact us urgently on 0800 36 76 56 so that we can check your enrolment and issue you a replacement paper.”

Voters should then complete their voting paper, put it in the return envelope provided, and drop it into a New Zealand Post postbox by Tuesday 8 December.

“We recommend that people get their return envelope into a postbox by next Tuesday,” Mr Peden says. “That way we know it’ll reach us in time to be counted.”

In this referendum, voters are asked to rank the five alternative flag designs selected through the Flag Consideration process, from a 1 for their most preferred to a 5 for their least preferred. They can rank as many or as few as they wish.

Then, in March 2016, there will be another referendum to choose between the most preferred option from the first referendum and the current flag. The flag that receives the most votes in the second referendum will be the official flag of New Zealand.

As of Tuesday 1 December 815,586 voting papers had been received by the Electoral Commission.

More information about voting in the referendum is available at 0800 36 76 56 and at www.elections.org.nz/flag.