Confirmed: 534 candidates gear up for the election

Kiri Allan is Labour's East Coast candidate. New Zealand Herald Photograph by Mark Mitchell.

There are 534 candidates contesting next month's election - with more women standing than in 2014.

The Electoral Commission has officially released the electorate and party list candidates for the September 23 election.

There are 16 registered parties, fielding a total of 534 candidates - slightly down on the 554 people who ran in the last election.

This year the gender split is 341 men, 190 women and three gender diverse or not specified. In 2014, there were 390 men and 164 women candidates.

The commission said 3,167,252 people are now on the electoral roll - exceeding the number enrolled at the time of the last election by almost 27,000.

Alicia Wright, chief electoral officer, said another big jump in enrolments was expected before election day.

"We're especially pleased that 16,694 voters in the 18-29 age group enrolled during August. That's great, but there are still a lot of people who aren't enrolled."

People who aren't enrolled can go to www.elections.org.nz or after September 11 enrol at any advance voting place. Enrolments can be processed up until September 22, the day before the election.

Facts on some of the candidates

• Mika Haka, TOP (10): A former breakdancer and performer who has featured at ten Edinburgh Festivals and once performed for Prince Charles at Holyrood Palace.

• Kiri Allan, Labour (21): The East Coast candidate missed her leader's visit to Gisborne this week after her wife went into labour.

• Howie Tamati, Maori Party (6): Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell's brother in law, Tamati was playing for the Kiwis when his cousin Kevin Tamati and Kangaroo Greg Dowling had their infamous fight.

• Jenny Macroft, New Zealand First (9): A former broadcaster and newsreader.
• Bhupinder Singh, Act (4): A real estate agent who was a spin bowler for the Auckland Aces cricket team.

• Hamish Walker, National (68): The Clutha-Southland candidate is a 32-year-old business adviser and rugby referee who once worked as a gold miner.

• Jack McDonald, Greens (11): The 24-year-old's great grandfather is the poet James K Baxter.