Writ signing brings polling day closer
The nation has passed another milestone on the road to the 2020 election.
Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy yesterday signed the writ directing the Electoral Commission to hold the election.
Writ day, as it is known, is the day when the Governor-General formally instructs the Electoral Commission to hold the election.
It’s mostly a constitutional formality – in reality, the Electoral Commission has been preparing to hold the election for months – but it’s an important formality as the date of the issuing of the writ has an impact on when Parliament returns and the next threeyear election cycle begins.
Under the Electoral Act, the writ must be issued within seven days of the dissolution of Parliament, which was September 6.
The Electoral Commission must return the writ with the names of the candidates who are successful in the 2020 election to the Clerk of the House of Representatives within 60 days, in this case Thursday, November 12.
The next Parliament is allowed to last for three years from the day the writ is returned, although the prime minister is allowed to go to the polls earlier if they wish.
The writ was signed yesterday at Government House, the official residence of the GovernorGeneral in Wellington.
‘‘The issue of the writ is a key constitutional step in the election process. It sets out the dates for candidate nominations to close, election day, and the date the writ must be returned showing the successful electoral candidates,’’ said chief electoral officer Alicia Wright.
The writ also triggers the date when the electoral rolls close for printing. You can still enrol to vote in the 2020 election, but enrolments after writ day are counted as special votes.
Writ day also triggers the beginning of candidate and party television and radio advertising.