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To: Andrew Little, Justice Minister

Right to Vote for All

Dear Hon. Andrew Little,

We are calling on the Government to enshrine voting rights for all people who are incarcerated.

In 2010 National MP Paul Quinn introduced a Member’s Bill to Parliament that saw the complete removal of voting rights for prisoners, regardless of how long the sentence. Since then, the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s ruling that limiting the right to vote for prisoners is a breach of the Bill of Rights, section 12(a).

Voting must belong to all of us for the health of our democracy, and removing basic rights should never be used as a means to punish people. We are proud of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history - where people have successfully campaigned for the right to vote for all Māori and women. That legacy should not be thrown away lightly.

That's why we are calling on the Government to amend the Electoral Act of 1993 and ensure that all New Zealanders are able to determine who represents them, and who makes the laws that govern them.

Why is this important?

We believe that in a fair and democratic society all members should have the right to vote, and people living in prisons are part of our society. They are valued members of communities and families. To take away their right to vote is an unfair disenfranchisement

We all expect that people in prison have the opportunity to heal and learn so they can contribute to a thriving society when they return to their communities. By not allowing people to vote while in prison, we are removing their ability to invest in and contribute to society and our democratic process. It's cruel and counter-productive.

When Parliament changed the law in 2010 they used voting rights as a form of punishment, and this breaches the Bill of Rights. As New Zealanders we seek fairness and community. If we reinstate voting rights for people serving time in prison, it means that come next election time, thousands more people would be able to participate in our democracy, and put their ballot in the box as an investment in their - and our - futures.

We believe a thriving society requires the voices of all it's people in order to make decisions that elevate everyone. By including everyone's voices we can have a truly representative democracy.
New Zealand

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Updates

2020-09-02 10:11:31 +1200

Kia ora koutou - we're long overdue an update! As many of you will know, the Government narrowly passed a law in June which restored voting rights to people serving sentences of three years or less. This is progress! Around 1900 more people will be able to vote at the upcoming election. Thank you to everyone for your advocacy and your support in keeping this important issue on the political agenda. It's not over though - voting is a fundamental human right and everyone in Aotearoa should have access. Check out Alice Snedden's Bad News episode out today which talks about why the new law still disporporionately discriminates against Māori https://thespinoff.co.nz/tv/01-09-2020/alice-sneddens-bad-news-shouldnt-everybody-have-the-right-to-vote-even-from-prison/. Don't forget to share the petition with your friends and whānau!

2019-04-08 11:45:16 +1200

Kia ora e te whānau - so close to 2000 signatures! Would you help us by sharing the petition with three friends, to help us get it over the line?

2018-12-12 14:29:33 +1300

Kia ora e te whānau, we’re at 1000 signatures which is a brilliant achievement! We would love to see this reach 1500 signatures by the end of the year and we’d love your help to get there! You can share the petition on Facebook and Twitter, send the link around your community networks, share with whānau, and get your friends to sign, because together we can do this!

2018-12-12 11:58:07 +1300

1,000 signatures reached

2018-11-29 22:30:13 +1300

500 signatures reached

2018-11-29 14:56:54 +1300

Kia ora e te whānau, what an awesome response we've had - 240 signatures in 24 hours!

We would love to get to 500 signatures by the end of the week. If you're keen to help us out, please share it on Facebook, Twitter or send it to family, friends and workmates.

We were also stoked to hear Green MP Golriz Ghahraman call on the Government to make this law change a priority - check out the story here https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/golriz-ghahraman-urges-justice-minister-scrap-prisoner-voting-ban

2018-11-28 20:54:03 +1300

100 signatures reached

2018-11-28 16:18:11 +1300

50 signatures reached

2018-11-28 12:37:21 +1300

25 signatures reached

2018-11-28 10:16:17 +1300

10 signatures reached