New Zealand is planning for its most challenging and expensive election ever on September 19, a poll complicated by COVID-19 and two referendums.
Jacinda Ardern's government will bid for re-election in 101 days time alongside legalisation proposals for cannabis and euthanasia.
While New Zealand has beaten back the coronavirus to a point where there are no active cases in the country, the Electoral Commission is making plans for a second wave or regional outbreaks to ensure Kiwis can exercise their democratic rights.
That means more polling places, longer opening hours and hanging onto some health practices established during the pandemic.
"Bringing your own pen would be a good idea," chief electoral officer Alicia Wright told AAP.
The odd but classically Kiwi voting mascot 'Orange Guy', a smiley stick figure, will return as the commission's face, fronting major promotional campaigns, with extra funding and staff granted given the COVID-19 environment.
Ms Wright says there will be "about double" the polling places in 2020 than at the 2017 poll to keep lines low.
"It's going to be a big election and it's going to be a different election. We're thinking very hard for all the measures to keep people safe," she said.
Advance polling will begin on September 5.
Unlike Australia, voting is not compulsory in New Zealand, bringing a focus from both the electoral commission and political parties on maximising turnout.
This year, supermarkets, malls and other public spaces will join halls and schools as polling places after the government passed a law to allow their use.
Ms Wright said in 2020 there would effectively be two voting weekends, with four times as many advance voting places in use during the weekend before polling day compared with 2017.
Justice Minister Andrew Little said it was a goal of his government to grow turnout, and that meant more early voting.
"In 2017, I think 47 per cent of voters cast the vote in the advanced voting period," he told AAP.
"With promotion, they could get it as high as 80 per cent of voters voting in the advanced voting period."
Should COVID-19 return, the commission has the option of mass postal voting, takeaway votes - where ballots are dropped off and picked up - or even receiving dictated votes over the phone.
Overseas Kiwis can also download ballots and send them to the commission online.
Ms Wright said she anticipated that practice being more popular in 2020 given the varied COVID-19 environment around the world.
She said there were usually about 80 overseas posts where people could go and vote in person but it would not be known until closer to the time which posts could open.
Australian Associated Press
