Finn
Blackwell Journalist
A patient advocate says the
fact some Auckland hospitals don’t have a voting station
isn’t good enough.
The Electoral Commission has
confirmed there is no voting place at Middlemore
Hospital.
North Shore Hospital also does not to have a
voting station, although one is available around the
corner.
That’s despite other voting stations being set
up at other hospitals like Auckland City and
Waitākere.
Deputy chief executive of the commission’s
operations Anusha Guler said they provided a mobile voting
service at Middlemore.
“We work with hospitals
directly, and the type of service we provide will depend on
what works for them, and the space available,” she
said.
“Our electorate manager has been working closely
with Middlemore Hospital to arrange voting services for the
2026 General Election; these are the same as the services
provided in 2023.”
Guler said they will be offering a
service on Friday for patients to vote.
“We are also
working with the hospital to identify patients who have been
in hospital for more than four days, as of 6 November, to
ensure they have been offered a special takeaway vote,” she
said.
Chair of Patient Voice Malcolm Mulholland said
every hospital throughout the country should have a spot for
patients to vote.
“There will be patients where
mobility is a major issue, they won’t be able to leave the
grounds,” he said.
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“It really is a denial of a
patients democratic right to vote.”
Mulholland said
hospital staff did not have the time nor the resources to be
“pushing patients in a wheelchair down to the nearest voting
booth”.
“That’s another reason why we have to ensure
voting booths are available in every
hospital.”
Health NZ responds
Health NZ said
all patients will have options available to them to
vote.
On Friday Middlemore Hospital patients who will
still be in hospital on Saturday will have the opportunity
to vote in the general election.
Voting would be for
hospital inpatients only with no onsite voting
booths.
“Planning has taken place over a number of
months between Middlemore Hospital and the Electoral
Commission to enable patients to be able to vote, however,
this does not extend to a voting booth for public onsite.
The placement of voting booths is decided by the Electoral
Commission following a number of
considerations.”
Voting places are available in the
main foyers at two other hospitals as
follows:
- Waitākere Hospital: Thursday and
Friday, 9am to 5pm - North Shore Hospital: Friday 9am
to 5pm - Mobile voting teams will also visit wards at
both hospitals on Friday to assist those patients unable to
access a polling
office.
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