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Electoral Act 1993

Election expenses, donations, and annual financial statements - Election expenses of candidates

205C: Maximum amount of candidate's total election expenses

You could also call this:

"How much money a candidate can spend on their election campaign"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

When you are a candidate in an election, you can only spend a certain amount of money on your campaign. If you are running in a general election, you must not spend more than $34,800, or the amount set by the Governor-General by Order in Council under section 266A. This amount includes goods and services tax.

If you are running in a by-election, you must not spend more than $69,500, or the amount set by the Governor-General by Order in Council under section 266A. You need to remember that these amounts include goods and services tax. The Governor-General can change these amounts by Order in Council under section 266A.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM1867445.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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"Breaking election expense rules can get you in trouble"

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"How to fairly split costs of election ads published before and during the election period"

Part 6AElection expenses, donations, and annual financial statements
Election expenses of candidates

205CMaximum amount of candidate's total election expenses

  1. The total election expenses of a candidate in respect of any regulated period must not exceed—

  2. $34,800 (or such other amount as is prescribed by the Governor-General by Order in Council under section 266A), in the case of a candidate at a general election; and
    1. $69,500 (or such other amount as is prescribed by the Governor-General by Order in Council under section 266A), in the case of a candidate at a by-election.

      1. The amounts in subsection (1) are inclusive of goods and services tax.

      Notes
      • Section 205C: substituted, on , by section 8 of the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 137).
      • Section 205C(1)(a): amended, on , by clause 5(1) of the Electoral (Expenditure Limit) Order 2025 (SL 2025/119).
      • Section 205C(1)(b): amended, on , by clause 5(2) of the Electoral (Expenditure Limit) Order 2025 (SL 2025/119).