Bay of Plenty Registrars of Electors Lesley Christophers is working hard to make sure voters in the region get to have their say come voting time for local body elections.

Every year tens of thousands of New Zealanders move house, and thousands get removed from the electoral roll because they have forgotten to enrol at their new address.

Bay of Plenty registrars of electors Lesley Christophers is encouraging residents to make sure they are enrolled in time for this year's local body elections. File.

Lesley says 734 names were removed from the last Tauranga electoral roll and 737 were removed from the Bay of Plenty electoral roll because her office had received returned electoral mail saying the person no longer lived at the address.

She says this is why it is important for voters to update their residential addresses whenever they move.

'If you've moved house, returned from overseas or shifted into the Tauranga area and you didn't receive an enrolment update pack. You need to update your details now - check online at www.elections.org.nz/enrol or by calling 0800 36 76 56 to get it underway.”

This is especially important with the local elections just weeks away. Voting papers for the local elections will be posted to enrolled voters in September, and can only be sent out to those who are enrolled by August 12.

Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden says if electoral mail gets returned and there is no new address there was no other option but to remove the person from the electoral roll.

'It's really important that you update your details every time you move house. Otherwise we can't send you important electoral information such as voting papers.

'If you've moved house, or had any other changes to your details, you need to update your details now.”

Those enrolling after August 12, will need to cast a special vote, and will need to contact their local council for voting papers.