Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Removal of names from roll and alterations to roll

98: Removal of names from roll by Electoral Commission

You could also call this:

"When the Electoral Commission takes your name off the voting list"

The Electoral Commission must remove your name from the electoral roll if you move to a different area and are no longer eligible to vote in your current area. They must also remove your name if you have died and your death has been reported to them. The Electoral Commission can correct mistakes on the roll, such as removing duplicate entries or fixing incorrect information. If your name is removed from the roll by mistake, the Electoral Commission can add it back on at any time. You can find more information about being removed from the roll in section 89G(2)(a) or if you are disqualified under section 80 or notified under section 86A. The Electoral Commission must also follow rules about when they can make changes to the roll, especially around election time. If you are a Māori person who has chosen to be registered as an elector for a different type of electoral district under section 76, your name will be removed from the current roll. The Electoral Commission keeps a list of people whose names are removed from the roll after the election has been announced, known as the list of post-writ day deletions.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM309122.

This page was last updated on 14 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Government and voting > ElectionsGovernment and voting > Local councilsImmigration and citizenship > Border control

97: Procedure on reference of application or objection to District Court, or

"What happens when someone objects to a name on the electoral roll and it goes to the District Court"

99: Notice of alterations to roll, or

"What happens when your name is changed or removed from the electoral roll"

Part 5Registration of electors
Removal of names from roll and alterations to roll

98Removal of names from roll by Electoral Commission

Subject to subsection (6), the Electoral Commission must remove from the roll—
the name of every person who, consequent on a change in his or her place of residence,—
1. is not qualified to be registered as an elector of the district; and
2. resides in, and is registered as an elector of, another district:
the name of every person of whose identity the Electoral Commission is satisfied and whose death has been notified to the Electoral Commission—
1. by any Registrar of Births and Deaths; or
2. by the father, mother, or spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of that person or by a sister or brother of that person:
the name of every person who, as a result of inquiries made under section 89G(2)(a), the Electoral Commission has reason to believe has ceased for 1 month or more to reside in the district in which they are registered:
the name of every person whose name is entered on the Corrupt Practices List made out for any district:
the name of every person whose disqualification under section 80—
1. is duly certified to the Electoral Commission; or
2. is notified to the Electoral Commission under section 86A:
the name of every Māori person who has exercised the Māori option under section 76 and chosen to be registered as an elector for a different type of electoral district:
where the roll is for a Maori electoral district, the name of every person who is not a Maori:
the name of every person who has been registered for the district—
1. by mistake; or
2. by clerical error; or
3. as a result of false information.

Notwithstanding anything in this Act, the Electoral Commission, on being satisfied that the name of any person has been omitted or removed from the roll—
by mistake; or
by clerical error; or
as a result of false information,—

In addition to other powers of alterations conferred by this Act, the Electoral Commission may at any time, subject to subsection (6), alter the roll—
by correcting any mistake or omission in the particulars of the enrolment of a person:
by striking out the superfluous entry when the name of a person appears more than once on the roll.

The Electoral Commission may, subject to subsection (6), place a person’s name on the roll if—
the person has been registered as an elector of a district other than the district in which the person should have been registered; and
the person’s name has, under subsection (1)(h) or (i), been removed from the roll of the district for which the person was correctly registered.

Where, pursuant to this section, the name of a person is removed from the roll in the period commencing on the day after writ day and ending on polling day, the Electoral Commission must, on removing that name, enter it on a list to be known as the list of post-writ day deletions.
No alteration pursuant to this section shall be made to the roll for a district in the period beginning on the day after polling day and ending on the day after the day of the return of the writ.

Notes

Section 98 heading: amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(1): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(1)(b): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(3) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(1)(b)(ii): amended, on 26 April 2005, by section 7 of the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005 (2005 No 3).
Section 98(1)(c): repealed, on 25 March 2014, by section 45 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 8).
Section 98(1)(d): replaced, on 20 December 2025, by section 35 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
Section 98(1)(f)(i): amended, on 2 July 2020, by section 10(1) of the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act (No 2) 2020 (2020 No 34).
Section 98(1)(f)(i): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(5) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(1)(f)(ii): inserted, on 2 July 2020, by section 10(2) of the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act (No 2) 2020 (2020 No 34).
Section 98(1)(f)(ii): amended, on 20 December 2025, by section 138 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
Section 98(1)(f)(ii): repealed, on 30 June 2020, by section 8 of the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 26).
Section 98(1)(g): replaced, on 31 March 2023, by section 12 of the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Act 2022 (2022 No 62).
Section 98(2): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(5) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(3): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(5) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(4): replaced, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(6) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(5): amended, on 11 March 2020, by section 7(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 2).
Section 98(5): amended, on 21 March 2017, by section 43(7) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
Section 98(6): amended, on 11 March 2020, by section 7(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 2).