If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the News story.
Use the vocabulary list to check the meanings of some words before you listen.
Vocabulary
enrol – to officially arrange to join a school, university – or here, to vote
eligible – if you are eligible for something, you are able or allowed to do it
update – to add the most recent information to something
Try these activities while listening
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- How often does New Zealand hold a general election?
- When will the next election take place?
- Who can vote in an election?
- What is a permanent resident?
- Which people are not eligible to vote?
- What does the speaker say about these dates: 25 October; 4 October; 26 October?
- Why did the Government change the law?
- Why are some groups not happy about this change?
- In 2023, how many people voted on election day?
News story
New Zealand holds a general election every three years. The next election will take place on Saturday 7 November this year. People who are eligible to vote need to enrol by Sunday 25 October.
If you are 18 years or older and are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident, you can vote in an election. If you are 17, you can enrol so that you are automatically enrolled and ready to vote when you turn 18. For elections, a permanent resident is anyone who is lawfully in New Zealand and who is not required to leave within a specific time. In contrast, people who are on work or study visas that require them to leave New Zealand by a certain date are not eligible to enrol and vote.
If you want to vote in the 2026 general election, you must be enrolled by midnight, 25 October. However, the Electoral Commission is recommending that people enrol by 4 October, so that their name is on the printed roll. This will make it easier to vote when they go to a voting place. Advance voting starts on 26 October. Voting closes on election day at 7pm.
For the last two elections, in 2023 and 2020, it was possible to enrol up to and on election day, but the Government has changed the law. Now, people must be enrolled before advance voting starts. The Government made this change because counting of votes took three weeks after the 2023 general election, in comparison to two weeks in earlier elections. However, the Electoral Commission says it will still take around 20 days to count votes this election, because of the increase in special votes, such as votes from people overseas. Some political parties and other organisations are not happy about this change. They say that it will make it more difficult for everyone to vote. In 2023, 450,000 people enrolled or updated their enrolment during the 12 days of voting, including 110,000 on election day itself.
Therefore, this year, it is important to enrol early. If you have changed address, you should update your details. You can enrol or update at vote.nz or call 0800 36 76 56.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. How often does New Zealand hold a general election?
Every three years
b. When will the next election take place?
Saturday 7 November this year
c. Who can vote in an election?
People who are 18 years or older and are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident
d. What is a permanent resident?
Anyone who is lawfully in New Zealand and who is not required to leave within a specific time
e. Which people are not eligible to vote?
People who are on work or study visas (that require them to leave New Zealand by a certain date)
f. What does the speaker say about these dates: 25 October; 4 October; 26 October?
25 October – you must be enrolled to vote by midnight; 4 October – the Electoral Commission is recommending that people enrol by this date, so that their name is on the printed roll; 26 October – advance voting starts
g. What is the new law?
People must be enrolled before advance voting starts
h. Why are some groups not happy about this change?
They say that it will make it more difficult for everyone to vote
i. In 2023, how many people voted on election day?
110,000