A report from Statistics New Zealand shows that most migrants who have been in New Zealand for more than 5 years, do vote. At least, they voted in the 2011 national elections. The percentage of voters among that group of migrants is about the same as the percentage of voters for all New Zealanders.
Most people who voted said that they felt strongly that they belong to New Zealand.
On the other hand, almost 60% of migrants who have been in New Zealand for a shorter time – 5 years or less – did not vote in the last elections. However, this includes migrants who were not eligible to vote. Perhaps they had not registered to vote or they had not lived in New Zealand long enough.
This information came from the New Zealand General Social Survey which is conducted every 2 years. People are chosen randomly. They are interviewed face-to-face.
Vocabulary
- eligible – allowed by law
- conduct a survey – organise and carry out
- randomly – by chance; probably done by computer
Questions
- How can migrants learn about registering to vote?
- Why do some migrants choose not to vote?