New Zealand – Tokelau (General Election, 29th January 2026)

General election postponed due to inclement weather 

In late-January 2026, severe weather conditions hindered the triennial general elections of Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean (Selby, 2026). Approximately 1,600 people live in Tokelau, with the territory consisting of three tropical coral atolls (RNZ Pacific Reporters, 2026).  

The general election planned for 29 January 2026 was ultimately postponed to 5 February 2026 by the Tokelauan government, who cited severe weather warnings including strong winds and heavy swells (Selby, 2026). Weather-related transport disruptions prevented ballot boxes from reaching the territory (Vailala, 2026). Authorities also noted that travel posed safety risks for Tokelauan voters, both for those attempting to reach the ballot boxes and those returning to Tokelau from locations such as New Zealand and Samoa. Despite these challenges, the rescheduled election proceeded as planned. 

The sole passenger vessel providing travel to and from Tokelau is the government-owned MV Mataliki (McLean, 2026). The MV Mataliki cancelled its fortnightly voyage between Tokelau and Apia (Samoa’s capital city) in the leadup to the election (Selby, 2026). In addition to this, no airports exist on any of Tokelau’s three atolls, making transportation vulnerable to inclement weather conditions as well as technical or operational disruptions to the ship itself. 

Author: Sam Scowen