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Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Nominations

143: Nominations of candidates for electoral districts

You could also call this:

"How to become a candidate for an area in a New Zealand election"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You can be nominated as a candidate for an electoral district if you are qualified under this Act. You need to give your consent, which can be in writing or electronic, unless you are outside New Zealand. If you are outside New Zealand, you can give your consent in a way approved by the Electoral Commission.

You will be nominated by at least two registered electors from the district, who will fill out a nomination paper provided by the Electoral Commission. The nomination paper, your consent, and any other required documents must be given to the Returning Officer by noon on nomination day. The Returning Officer will give you a receipt for your nomination.

Each candidate must have a separate nomination paper, and the name on the paper must be short enough to fit on the ballot paper. You can only nominate one candidate, and you can inspect the nomination papers at the Returning Officer's office without paying a fee.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM309493.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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Part 6Elections
Nominations

143Nominations of candidates for electoral districts

  1. Any person qualified under this Act may, with his or her consent, be nominated as a constituency candidate for election for any electoral district, by not fewer than 2 registered electors of that district, by a nomination paper on a form provided by the Electoral Commission.

  2. A person's consent to nomination—

  3. must, unless subsection (3) applies, be given in writing or electronically; but
    1. need not be given at the time the nomination paper is lodged.

      1. Where any person is for the time being outside New Zealand, his or her consent, for the purposes of subsection (2), may be signified to the Returning Officer in any manner approved by the Electoral Commission.

      2. Repealed

      3. Every nomination paper and every consent and every logo submitted under subsection (3A) for inclusion on the ballot paper shall be lodged with or given to the Returning Officer for the district not later than noon on nomination day. The Returning Officer shall give a receipt in writing for every nomination accepted by him or her.

      4. Each constituency candidate shall be nominated by a separate nomination paper in such manner as, in the opinion of the Returning Officer, is sufficient to identify the constituency candidate.

      5. Every constituency candidate shall ensure that the name or names shown on the nomination paper as the name or names to be used on the ballot paper are short enough to fit on the ballot paper.

      6. No elector may nominate more than 1 constituency candidate.

      7. Any registered elector of the district may inspect any nomination paper or consent at the Returning Officer’s office without payment at any time when the office is open for the transaction of business.

      Notes
      • Section 143(1): substituted, on , by section 55(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1).
      • Section 143(1): amended, on , by section 32(1)(a) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 26).
      • Section 143(2): replaced, on , by section 45 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 8).
      • Section 143(3): amended, on , by section 32(1)(a) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 26).
      • Section 143(3A): repealed, on , by section 69 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
      • Section 143(4): substituted, on , by section 39(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).