Judith Collins also said the controversial electoral law reform could disenfranchise Māori
New Zealand’s prime minister Christopher Luxon has defended his government’s plans to overhaul its electoral laws, despite warnings from his own attorney general the changes could breach human rights law and disenfranchise more than 100,000 voters.
The right-wing government last week announced its plan to shake up electoral laws it said were “outdated and unsustainable”, including closing voter enrolment 13 days before election day, reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting and prohibiting anyone from providing free food, drink or entertainment within 100 metres of a voting station.
Since 1993, voters have been allowed to enrol to vote during the two week advance voting period and, more recently, on election day, casting what is called a “special vote”.
Luxon told RNZ on Monday the late enrolments had led to weeks-long delays in counting votes.
