You need to be registered (enrolled) on the electoral roll to be able to vote.
When you arrive at prison for a sentence less than 3 years long, you must be asked if you want your details passed on to the Electoral Commission for registration.
If your sentence is more than 3 years long, the prison has to let the Electoral Commission know that you are in prison. When you are due for release, you must be asked if you want your details passed on to the Electoral Commission for registration.
If you’re not already registered you can call the Electoral Commission free of charge on 0800 36 76 56. You can also enrol online at vote.nz. The prison also has a duty to provide suitable facilities where electoral staff can visit the prison and register prisoners. Sometimes electoral staff will visit a prison before an election to register anyone who’s unregistered, but this will depend on the electoral staff for the particular area.
If you’re already registered you’ll need to let the Electoral Commission know that you’re currently being held in prison. The prison is supposed to do this when you first arrive at prison. You can also do this when electoral staff visit the prison or you can contact the Electoral Commission and ask for an enrolment form.