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National Disabled Students' Association > NZ General elections

NZ General elections

Aotearoa New Zealand is set to hold our general elections on the 7th of November, 2026. This is where you get to be a part of our country’s future, and make a difference for disabled ākonga (learners) across the motu (country). On this page you’ll learn about how who’s in government affects you, important election timelines, how to enrol to vote or update your enrolments, and how voting works. We are also aiming to provide a general elections scorecard with questions and answers from each political party.

Please note that the National Disabled Students’ Association is a non-partisan charity, meaning we don’t support one party over another, and we work with parties across the political spectrum to help disabled ākonga. We aim to provide you with plain language information to make informed decisions; however, we cannot tell you how to vote, or favour one political party over another. If you wish to know more about an individual party’s stance, please contact the party’s representative.

Table of Contents

How voting affects you

Did you know that who’s in government can affect both your home life and your study life as a Deaf or disabled ākonga (learner) in Aotearoa? Whether you’re at a polytech, work-based learning, wānanga, university, or another form of tertiary education, how you access your education, community, and support is impacted by our government.

Our Government get to oversee important services and issues such as —

  1. How government agencies are funded, and where funding is allocated in their national budget.
  2. How government agencies provide plain language and accessible information to people using their services and participating in democracy.
  3. Student allowance, disability allowances, and access to postgraduate student allowances.
  4. Funded disability support services through Needs Assessments and Service Coordination providers.
  5. Total Mobility Scheme and other transport subsidies for Deaf and disabled people.
  6. How much funding institutions receive to support Deaf and disabled learners.
  7. The Tertiary Education Commission, and how Disability Action Plans are overseen and enforced, which impacts how your institution seeks to improve experiences of Deaf and disabled ākonga.
  8. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and how your institution looks after disabled, Deaf, Māori, international, and other diverse learners through the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 administered by NZQA.
  9. How statistics about disabled people are taken, such as how the census or other national surveys are worded.
  10. How Aoteaora reaches its aspirations and goals in the New Zealand Disability Strategy, including how the National Disabled Students’ Association and other ākonga impact Disability Action Plans.

Enrolling to vote in general elections

To vote in the New Zealand 2026 general elections, you’ll need to make sure you’re enrolled in your preferred roll. For 2026, there are also new rules impacting how late you can enrol. Check out the ‘how to enrol’ page for information on when you need to enrol, how to enrol, and the types of rolls.

You can access information provided by the Electoral Commission on enrolment in alternate formats including braille and large print here

Voting in the 2026 general elections

You can cast your vote in-person, overseas, through a telephone dictation service, or with the help of a support person. Nearer to elections, you’ll be provided with an EasyVote pack containing information about your nearest voting places, candidates in your electorate (where you live), and an EasyVote card. Check out the ‘voting in the 2026 general elections’ page for information on how to vote, what the voting process is like, and what kinds of supports you can expect to carry out your right to vote.

Party positions on issues affecting disabled learners

Over the upcoming months, the NDSA will be asking party spokespeople from across the political spectrum their views on issues affecting disabled learners, such as how tertiary institutions follow the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice, how much equity funding institutions receive, and how their party would intend to listen to disabled ākonga voices if they were to be in Government. Check back in on this page and our social media to see their responses!