The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency has launched the longest ad ever made in Aotearoa, urging more Māori to sign up to the Māori Electoral Roll.

The ad features artist and activist Tame Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe) alone in a cavernous space reading for 30 minutes a “Māori roll call” of New Zealanders who have recently joined the Māori electoral roll.

Whānau Ora said all people whose names had been read or listed throughout the campaign had given permission for their name to be publicised. The ad campaign will go out through TV, radio and billboards.

Iti said young Māori need to get involved in politics to make change.

“It’s important for our young people to march, but they must join the call now.

“We need a political voice, Parliament has its place.

“Now is a moment to call to all whānau, to the people from Te Tai Tokerau down to Te Wai Pounamu. The time is now.”

Iti’s call to enrol is being supported on social media by many high-profile Māori, from director Taika Waititi, to lawyer Tania Waikato and comedian Joe Daymond.

The ad marks the 50th anniversary of the Māori Electoral Option, which allows Māori to choose which roll they join.

The Electoral Amendment Act, passed in 1975, defined Māori as a person of New Zealand Māori descent.

It means anyone who is Māori has the option of enrolling to vote on either the Māori or General rolls.

Before 1975, the electoral roll a person was on was determined by the percentage of Māori blood they were deemed to have.

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chairperson Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Te Arawa) said they wanted to capture the voice of the politically charged young Māori and give them a genuine seat at the table.

“When our people are engaged in the systems that shape their lives, we start to see real change, not just politically, but in health, education, and the wellbeing of our whānau.

“At the end of the day, this is about MMP; More Māori in Parliament. But that’s only going to happen if we can help drive Māori to vote.”

Tamariki Māori were expected to make up one in three children by the early 2040s, she said.

“We must safeguard our rangatahi’s future with an electoral roll that centres the political system in te ao Māori.

“I believe the Māori roll is our most powerful manifestation of tino-rangatiratanga, or self-determination, for people to have their voices heard.”

Iti said the timing was urgent, but there was a risk if Māori did not get involved.

“The hikoi was an amazing moment from where I came from 50 to 60 years ago, being able to see that personally.

“The vibration is there, and we need to capture that moment.

“We need to believe in ourselves and maintain our mana. We’re talking about our mana for the next 20 years, the next 40 years, the next 100 years.

“We’ll be here forever.”

–  RNZ

Make your choice

Māori voters who want to change electoral rolls before the local elections have until July 10 to make their choice.

If you are Māori, you choose the Māori roll or the general roll when you first enrol to vote. After that, you can change rolls at any time except in the three months before an election.

June 10 was the latest people could switch rolls ahead of the October 11 elections for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Whakatāne, Kawerau and Opotiki district councils.

“If you’re on the Māori roll and your council has Māori wards, you’ll vote in a Māori ward,” said Hone Matthews, chief adviser Māori.

“If you’re on the general roll or your council doesn’t have Māori wards, you’ll vote in a general ward.

“Go to vote.nz to enrol, check your details, or change your roll type,” he said.

This year marks 50 years of the Māori Electoral Option, which is the choice for Māori between the Māori roll and the general roll.

The Electoral Amendment Act passed in 1975 defined Māori as a person of New Zealand Māori descent and means anyone who is Māori has the option of enrolling to vote on either roll. “General roll or Māori roll, it’s your choice. He mana tō te kōwhiri – your choice has mana.”