The Electoral Commission is encouraging Tauranga City Council residents to check if they are enrolled to vote – so they’re ready for the council election on July 20.

“Currently more than 110,000 people are enrolled to vote, which is 89 per cent of eligible voters in the Tauranga City Council area,” says Electoral Commission deputy chief executive operations Anusha Guler.

Voters will be electing councillors from eight general wards and one Māori ward, as well as a mayor, to the Tauranga City Council in four months’ time.

“If you’re Māori, you can choose to be on the Māori electoral roll or General Electoral roll for the city council election,” says Anusha.

“Voters on the Māori roll will vote for a candidate in the new Māori ward, and voters on the General roll will vote for candidates in the general wards.”

Following a recent law change, voters of Māori descent can change the roll they are on at any time except in the three months before a general election, the local elections, or a parliamentary byelection.

The Commission is writing to enrolled voters of Māori descent to let them know that if they would like to change from the Māori roll to the general roll or the general roll to the Māori roll before the council election, they need to do it by midnight April 19.

People can enrol, check or update their enrolment details at: vote.nz Or call 0800 36 76 56 for more information.