Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Electoral Act 1993

The House of Representatives - Persons qualified to vote

61: Special voters

You could also call this:

"Voting when you can't get to your usual voting place"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You can vote as a special voter if you are qualified to vote in a district but your name is not on the voting list or it has been removed by mistake. You can also vote as a special voter if you will be away from the district on voting day, or if you are outside New Zealand on voting day. You can vote as a special voter if you are too sick to go to a voting place, or if you have a religious reason for not voting on the day of the week that voting is held. You can vote as a special voter if you are going to have a hard time getting to a voting place without a lot of trouble. If you are on the Maori electoral roll, you can vote as a special voter for these reasons and also if you go to vote at a place that is not for your district. You must tell the Returning Officer or issuing officer why you need to vote as a special voter, and they will decide if it is okay.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM308567.

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Government and voting > Elections
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Part 3The House of Representatives
Persons qualified to vote

61Special voters

  1. A person who is qualified to vote at any election in any district may vote as a special voter if—

  2. that person’s name does not appear on the main roll or any supplementary roll for the district or has been wrongly deleted from any such roll:
    1. the person intends to be absent or is absent from the district on polling day:
      1. the person intends to be outside New Zealand on polling day or is outside New Zealand on polling day:
        1. the person is, by reason of illness, infirmity, pregnancy, or recent childbirth, unable to attend to vote at any polling place in the district:
          1. the person is, by reason of a religious objection, unable to attend to vote on the day of the week on which polling day falls:
            1. the person satisfies the Returning Officer or issuing officer that on any other ground it will not be practicable for that person to vote at a polling place in the district without incurring hardship or serious inconvenience.

              1. A person who is registered as an elector of a Maori electoral district and who is qualified to vote at any election in that district may vote as a special voter not only on the grounds set out in subsection (1) but also on the ground that the person attends to vote on polling day at a polling place that is not a polling place for that district.

              2. Repealed
              Notes
              • Section 61(1)(f): amended, on , by section 101(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1).
              • Section 61(3): repealed, on , by section 39 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).