Explainer: Why EasyVote cards may no longer be mailed to you

Explainer: The Electoral Commission has said it will default this year to sending election information to many voters by email instead of post.

The commission said that people will now get their EasyVote card and list of local electoral candidates by email. You'll only automatically get it in the post if they don't have an email on file for you.

The Digital Equity Coalition and Māori technology initiative Te Hapori Matihiko have criticised the changes online, accusing the Electoral Commission of quietly changing how it reaches out to voters before the 7 November election.

Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said the shrinking of NZ Post services was partially to blame and the commission had long been signalling its shift towards more digital communication.

"It's really important people get accurate, timely information about how to enrol and vote," he told RNZ's Nine To Noon.

"What we've found is that's becoming increasingly difficult with the postal service and it's mainly around the time it takes to get that information out."

Te Hapori Matihiko founder and chief executive Katie Brown told Nine To Noon that the pivot away from using the post could put barriers up for many people.

"We are pro-digital, pro-technology but that has to bring everybody along."

Here's what we know so far.

Will I get my EasyVote card and candidate list in the post?

The Electoral Commission said if you're enrolled by 4 October, and they have your email on file, you'll receive your EasyVote card and electorate candidates list by email instead of in your mailbox.

The pack has in past years also included lists of candidates and voting places.

If the commission just has your postal address or you are on the unpublished roll, it will still be sent by post.

EasyVote cards aren't mandatory - but they do help staff find your name and details on the electoral roll on Election Day, the commission has said.

"The last few elections we've struggled to get the EasyVote card out to people before voting starts and that's just become more and more challenging," Le Quesne said.

"The major concern is that it's not optional," Wilson said. "It's not an opt-in op-out, it's an 'if we have your email address you will only receive communications from us on email.'"

She said that older people, rangatahi and the disability community were groups that often got excluded when there were quick technological advances.

Voters will still be getting some information by mail - more than 3.6 million people who are already enrolled will get letters in August asking them to confirm their registration details, the commission said.

"Post remains an important way of communicating with voters," Le Quesne said.

In April, 562,000 voters of Māori descent also got letters about the choice between the Māori electoral roll and the general roll.

Why can't they just send it all out by post?

Le Quesne said the main reason is the sharp drop in postal delivery services. NZ Post has been dealing with a sharp drop in mail and earlier this year announced the closure of many service counters and more likely cuts to delivery days.

NZ Post chief executive David Walsh recently told RNZ most addresses now only receive one or two letters a week on average.

Le Quesne said that EasyVote cards can't be posted until after the writ day, when the governor-general issues a formal direction to hold the election, at which time the voting rolls are printed. This year it's on 4 October.

He said that as the postal service contracts, the turnaround for getting out the information has become tighter even since 2023's election.

"We're not confident that we can get it out at the same time as last election."

"It would get to the point where the EasyVote card - which you don't need to vote - would not be worth sending out."

Te Hapori Matihiko doesn't agree with that approach.

"I don't think it's a valid reason at all," Wilson said.

"I think it's something that they need to work through and work with NZ Post.

"This is a very critical, important moment for our nation and for the post to be holding up people's democratic right to vote seems insane. It seems like that's something that should have been considered earlier."

What if you want to get the EasyVote card and candidate information by post only?

You will have to change the details of your voter registration, and you will have to do that by contacting the Electoral Commission directly.

"If you don't want to receive email or text messages, you can remove your email address or mobile phone number from your enrolment record by writing the instruction on a paper enrolment form or calling us on 0800 36 76 56," Le Quesne said in response to RNZ queries.

You are required to provide an email address and phone number when you enrol or update your details online - meaning paper or a phone call is the only way to go to make these changes.

How to check your enrolment information online (you'll need a New Zealand drivers licence, passport or RealMe login ID to do so)

What's the 0800 number again? 0800 36 76 56

Removing your email and phone details from the voter rolls may have another side effect, however.

"Removing those contact details means they may miss out on important information about enrolling and voting, and if we get mail returned to us, we won't have another way of contacting the voter," Le Quesne said.

Has the public been notified enough about this?

Digital Equity Aotearoa and Te Hapori Matihiko have said in online posts that the change was sudden and poorly notified.

"We found no public notice of this change," they said in social media posts.

"By their own website and by their own words they said it was gradual but immediately switching people to email only to receive their easy vote cards and party lists is quite a concern to us," Wilson said.

However, Le Quesne said the commission "clearly signalled" the move to digital communications in reports to Parliament and the public in media releases and conferences.

"In the enrolment update campaign we did before the local elections last year, we included a flyer asking people to give us their email addresses for future communications.

"We understand not everyone has access to the internet or digital devices, which is why we use a range of channels to reach people, including post, email, text messages, advertising, social media, stakeholder and face to face community engagement."

How will they know they've got my correct email or phone number?

The commission can see if sent emails are delivered and opened, Le Quesne told Nine To Noon.

"If we find in one of the reminders that we do that the email address doesn't work, we won't persist with it, we will send it by post."

If the email isn't opened, "if we have their mobile number we'll send them a text reminder as well".

But many people have multiple email accounts, spam filters or don't check messages, Wilson said.

"I don't know about you but I delete a lot of emails, there's a huge risk that people will miss these," she said.

Wilson said there are also concerns that vote.nz is not a 'zero data portal,' which allows broader access. It allows free access to essential services online.

"A zero data portal means that even if you do not have data you will be able to access that website," she said.

Le Quesne said changes to the website are "something we can definitely have a look at".

Will this affect voting?

"Our priority is to ensure every eligible New Zealander can take part in New Zealand's upcoming general election," Le Quesne said.

Wilson said Digital Equity Coalition and Te Hapori Matihiko have serious concerns about the move to digital.

"There's quite a few assumptions there," she said.

"The assumption is that people check those email addresses, that people have access to technology devices, have access to the internet, are technically capable ... these are all assumptions the Electoral Commission has made in making them switch.

"I think about my nana who's in a retirement home - she's got a phone, she's got an email address, she's got Facebook, but she really struggles to use that phone and see things and read things on there.

"She's now expected to read all the party list, find her EasyVote card in her email, and then bring that with her and her phone to vote."

It's not the only difference for this year's election.

Other changes were brought in with the Electoral Amendment Bill passed at the end of last year. You can now no longer enrol to vote on Election Day and will be required to register no later than 13 days before the election.

"That took away a whole lot of barriers for people," Wilson said.

"Now that we've moved to email, now that we've no post, the same group is getting hit twice."