MidCentral DHB General Manager of Quality and Innovation Judith Catherwood said MidCentral DHB had a responsibility to ensure patients had an opportunity to vote.
“We want our patients, visitors and staff to be supported in exercising their democratic right to vote. We have been working with the Electoral Commission to ensure that there are options available for anyone attending our facilities on Election Day.”
Patients, whanau and staff at Palmerston North Hospital will be able to vote in person at the Education Centre on Election Day or at one of the many nearby polling sites.
For Hospital patients too unwell to vote in person, whanau and support people are able to assist them with a takeaway vote, which involves the patient providing written permission for their voting pack to be collected by a nominated person from a polling site.
Ms Catherwood said assistance will be provided to inpatients who want to vote but who are unable to vote in person and who do not have whānau or a support person to help them obtain their voting pack.
The Electoral Commission has made arrangements to assist patients to vote at the Horowhenua Health Centre.
Advanced votes can still be cast until Friday, 16 October. Locations for advanced voting around the MidCentral district can be found online at vote.nz/map. Further information about the General Election and the voting process is available at vote.nz.