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Polling booths open, thousands early vote - report

Saturday 20 September 2014, 9:01AM

By Community Taranaki

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Polling stations around the country have opened today for this year's General Election.

But the queues at the polling booths may be a little shorter than usual, with over 550,000 people getting in early to cast their votes. That's more than double for the same stage of early voting for the last General Election in 2011.

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On the first day of early voting on September 3, over 12,000 people voted.

The busiest day was Thursday, with 122,675 people casting their vote, according to the Electoral Commission's website. The votes on Friday are yet to be tallied.

Among those to vote earlier this month were Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei, Labour Party leader David Cunliffe and Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom.

Until changes were brought in before the last election, you could only cast an advanced vote if you weren't going to be in your electorate on election day. Now anyone can vote early.