Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Voters in Port Waikato will be heading back to the polls just six weeks after the general election, with 25 November named by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins as the date for the electorate's by-election.
The sudden death of ACT's candidate Neil Christensen means Port Waikato voters will get two elections and Parliament will end up with an extra MP.
It is the first time an electoral candidate has died after the close of nominations but before polling day since MMP was introduced 30 years ago.
Party votes in Port Waikato will be counted on election day, but electorate candidate votes will not. Locals will have to vote again for their preferred candidate in the by-election, which some people RNZ spoke to said they were happy to do.
One woman said: "Oh for sure I'll be voting again, this is too important not to".
A man said: "I think it's important to. It's a right that we have. In some countries you don't have the right to vote".
Others thought it was unnecessary.
"No, it's a waste of time. I've voted once and that's enough," said one.
Another woman said she did not ever vote: "I don't believe in it. I think it's a scam".
Hipkins said no-one liked the idea of a by-election straight after a general election.
"I think everyone would like to have it sooner, if there was a way of doing it sooner, because the people in Port Waikato have just had an election campaign. So, I think they've had the opportunity to think about who they might want to represent them."
It is the prime minister's responsibility to consult with other parties and select the date for a by-election when a nominated candidate dies before election day. Hipkins said 25 November was the earliest date possible.
"I indicated that I wanted the earliest possible option. We then consulted with the other parties. The other parties asked, particularly the National Party, asked if it could be even sooner than that. We went back to the Electoral Commission and they said no, so that's pretty much where it's landed."
National leader Christopher Luxon said he wanted people in Port Waikato to focus on voting in the general election and think about the by-election afterwards.
"Their vote matters. Their party vote matters because that's how we change governments. That's how we get a strong stable government on the other side that will deliver for New Zealanders."
ACT leader David Seymour supported the by-election and said it was the right thing to do.
"The election result won't be affected in any way by Neil's passing. I think that's respectful and it's right and proper not to carry on and have the election in spite of his passing."
It's true the general election result won't be affected by Neil Christensen's death, but the makeup of Parliament will be.
After the election, the Electoral Commission has to allocate 120 seats in Parliament, meaning an extra list MP will fill the vacant spot of the Port Waikato electorate seat.
Then the by-election will be held and the elected Port Waikato MP will become the extra seat in the House. Based on previous voting trends it appears this may benefit National with an extra MP, but Labour's Chris Hipkins said that would not be known until after votes had been cast.
"It's something that I think, as we review the electoral law after the election which we always do, we can look at whether there is a fairer way of dealing with that."
The Electoral Commission said everyone's vote counts, and encouraged people in Port Waikato to get their party votes in by Saturday.
