Advance election voting opens

Advance voting has opened for the November 8 election in New Zealand .

Advance votes can be cast by voters who are unable to get to a polling place in their electorate on election day.

Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden said more than 250 advance voting places would be available from today for people to vote.

There would also be special arrangements in some electorates.

They include d sending ballot papers by boat to Pitt and Stephens Islands, visits by officials to communities along an 80km stretch of the Whanganui River and voting vans travelling around the Kaikoura and West Coast electorates.

He said staff would also visit hospitals and rest homes to ensure people who couldn't get to a polling place had the opportunity to vote.

In 2005, 197,938 or 8.59 percent of votes were cast in advance.

Details of advance voting places are available from the elections website www.elections.org.nz or by calling 0800 367656.

Advance voting closes at 6pm on November 7.