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Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Qualification of electors

74: Qualification of electors

You could also call this:

"Who can vote in New Zealand elections"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You can be registered as an elector if you are an adult and meet some conditions. You must be a New Zealand citizen or a resident for electoral purposes. You must have lived in New Zealand for at least one year. You must have lived in the electoral district for at least one month. If you have not lived in one district for a month, you can register in the district where you live now. If a election is happening, you can be treated as living in a district for a month if you live there when registration closes. This rule applies even if you move out of the district before the election.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM308827.

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Government and voting > Elections
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Part 5Registration of electors
Qualification of electors

74Qualification of electors

  1. Subject to the provisions of this Act, every adult person is qualified to be registered as an elector of an electoral district if—

  2. that person is—
    1. a New Zealand citizen; or
      1. a resident for electoral purposes; and
      2. that person has at some time resided continuously in New Zealand for a period of not less than 1 year; and
        1. that electoral district—
          1. is the last in which that person has continuously resided for a period equalling or exceeding 1 month; or
            1. where that person has never resided continuously in any one electoral district for a period equalling or exceeding 1 month, is the electoral district in which that person resides or has last resided.

            2. If a writ has been issued for an election, every person is treated, for the purposes of subsection (1)(c), as having completed a period of 1 month’s continuous residence in an electoral district if the person—

            3. resides in the electoral district at the close of registration; and
              1. would, if they continued to reside in the electoral district until the close of polling day, have continuously resided in the electoral district for a period equalling or exceeding 1 month.

                1. Subsection (2) applies whether or not the person in fact continues to reside in the electoral district during the period between the close of registration and polling day.

                Notes
                • Section 74(1)(a)(ii): replaced, on , by section 65 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
                • Section 74(2): replaced, on , by section 6 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
                • Section 74(3): inserted, on , by section 6 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).