KEY POINTS:
Thousands of people likely to be on holiday or busy on election day will cast advance votes from tomorrow.
An advance voting station at Auckland University of Technology - one of about 250 nationally - will open for the first time in a bid to capture the attention of the young voters who will have finished exams and left campus by November 8.
Auckland Central returning officer Walter Wilson expects about 2500 advance votes at the electorate headquarters alone in the next 2 1/2 weeks. Many will be from people heading overseas, but reasons will be varied.
"A law office wrote to us that they are having a seminar on polling day and therefore they would be tied up all day and unlikely to be able to get to a polling place," said Mr Wilson.
He said casting an advance vote was relatively simple and required less paperwork than a special vote.
People unable to go to an advance voting place can get ballot papers sent to them or have the papers collected by someone they know.
Chief electoral officer Robert Peden said advance voting was becoming more popular, with a 49 per cent rise in 2005 over the 2002 total. Advance voting closes at 6pm on November 7.
EasyVote information packs,available from November 1, will include information on advance voting, or visit www.elections.org.nz or call 0800-367-656.
