2020 New Zealand euthanasia referendum

The New Zealand euthanasia referendum is a binding referendum[1] that is to be held in conjunction with the 17 October 2020 general election and referendum on personal cannabis consumption. The referendum will be on the question of whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should come into force. The Act would legalise voluntary euthanasia for those with a terminal illness and less than six months left to live if approved by two doctors.[1][2] New Zealand is the first country to put euthanasia legalisation to a referendum.[1] If the majority of voters support the legislation, it will come into force 12 months after the final vote count is announced.[3]

2020 New Zealand euthanasia referendum
"Do you support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force?"
Date17 October 2020
New Zealand
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Background
Main article: Euthanasia in New Zealand

Euthanasia is currently illegal in New Zealand, and it is illegal to "aid and abet suicide" under Section 179 of the New Zealand Crimes Act 1961. Two earlier attempts to legalise euthanasia failed to get through the New Zealand Parliament. A 1995 Death with Dignity Bill failed by 61 votes against and 29 supporting, and a 2003 Death with Dignity Bill failed in its first reading by 60 votes opposing to 58 supporting.[4]

ACT party MP David Seymour entered the End of Life Choice Bill to the private member's bill ballot in October 2015.[5] The bill passed its first reading 76–44 in December 2017 and its second reading 70–50 in June 2019.[6][7] In the Committee of the whole House, support from the New Zealand First party became conditional on a referendum on whether the law should come into force.[2] An amendment to require a referendum passed 69–51.[8] The bill passed its third reading 69–51 on 13 November[9] and it received royal assent on 16 November 2019, becoming the End of Life Choice Act 2019.

Referendum

The referendum will ask voters:[3]

"Do you support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force?"

The two options will be:[3]

  • "Yes, I support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force."
  • "No, I do not support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force."

If the majority of voters support the legislation, it will come into force 12 months after the final vote count is announced.[3] If the majority oppose the legislation in the referendum (or any subsequent referendum, if the first is voided), it will not come into force and will be repealed by 16 November 2024, five years after it received the royal assent.[10]

Public opinion

A poll in July 2019 found that 72% of the public supported some kind of assisted dying for the terminally ill. Support over the past 20 years has averaged around 68%.[2] During the 16-month-long select committee stage of the End of Life Choice Bill, 39,000 public submissions were made, with 90% of submitters opposed to it.[8] Over one thousand doctors signed an open letter saying that they "want no part in assisted suicide".[11]

Date Polling organisation Sample size For Against Undecided Lead
9–13 Jul 2020 Research New Zealand 1,01264181846
6-8 Mar 2020 Research New Zealand 1,00060211939
8–12 Feb 2020 1 News Colmar Brunton 1,0046525940
27 Nov-2 Dec 2019 Research New Zealand 7507024648
17–26 Nov 2019 Horizon Research 1,5217030–40
20–24 Jul 2019 1 News Colmar Brunton 1,0037220752
19–29 Apr 2019 Horizon Research 1,3417419755

Results

Unlike the general election, a preliminary count for the cannabis and euthanasia referendums will not be conducted on election night (17 October). Instead, the referendum votes will be counted alongside the mandatory election recount.

All voting papers, counterfoils and electoral rolls are returned to the electorate's returning officer for counting. During the count, the returning officer wil approve and count any special votes, and compile a master electoral roll to ensure no-one has voted more than once. Special votes include votes from those who enrolled after the deadline of 13 September, those who voted outside their electorate (this includes all overseas votes), hospital votes, and those voters enrolled on the unpublished roll. To simplify processing and counting, overseas votes will be sent to and counted at the Electoral Commission's central processing centre in Wellington, rather than to electorate returning officers.[12]

Preliminary results for the referendums are expected to be released by the Electoral Commission on 30 October 2020. Official results for the general election and referendums are expected to be released on 6 November 2020.

References
  1. Graham-McLay, Charlotte (13 November 2019). "New Zealand to vote in referendum on euthanasia". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  2. "Euthanasia bill passes final vote, goes to referendum". The New Zealand Herald. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. "Referendum on the End of Life Choice Act 2019". referendum.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. "Assisted dying: New Zealand - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  5. Seymour, David. "Seymour lodges assisted dying Bill". ACT.org.nz. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  6. "Euthanasia bill passes second reading". New Zealand Herald. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  7. "Euthanasia bill passes second reading in Parliament". Radio New Zealand. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  8. Cooke, Henry (13 November 2019). "Euthanasia bill passes 69-51, sending the final decision to a referendum". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  9. Cooke, Henry (13 November 2019). "MPs vote in favour of End of Life Choice Bill at final reading". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  10. "End of Life Choice Act 2019 No 67, Public Act 2 Commencement – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. Collins, Simon (22 June 2019). "1000 Kiwi doctors sign letter against euthanasia". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  12. "Party Secretary Handbook - 2020 General Election and Referendums" (PDF). Electoral Commission.
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