Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Polling at elections

156: Use of public schools as polling places

You could also call this:

"Voting at public schools: how schools are used as polling places"

When you vote in an election, you might go to a public school to do it. The school can be used as a polling place if it is chosen under section 155. If a school is chosen, the people in charge of the school must let the Returning Officer use it for free from 4 pm on the day before the election and all day on election day.

You might wonder who pays for things like cleaning the school after it is used for voting. The Returning Officer is in charge of paying for the cleaning, lighting, and heating of the school on election day. The Returning Officer also pays for any damage that happens when the school is used as a polling place, using money given by Parliament.

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This page was last updated on 18 July 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM309691.

Topics:

Government and voting > Elections

155A: Use of licensed premises as polling places, or

"Voting can happen at pubs or bars if there's no alcohol sold or drunk where you vote."

157: Materials for polling places, or

"What you need to vote at a polling place"

Part 6Elections
Polling at elections

156Use of public schools as polling places

Any public primary school or intermediate school or secondary school may be appointed to be a polling place under section 155, and in every such case it shall be the duty of the governing body of the school to place it at the free disposal of the Returning Officer from 4 pm on the day before polling day and for the whole of polling day.
The cost of cleaning any part of a school used as a polling place, the cost of lighting and heating used on polling day, and the cost of repairing any damage arising from the use of a school as a polling place, shall be defrayed by the Returning Officer out of money to be appropriated by Parliament.