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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Polling at elections

157: Materials for polling places

You could also call this:

"What you need to vote at a polling place"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

When you go to a polling place to vote, the Returning Officer makes sure you have what you need. They must provide a private area for you to vote, a place to mark your ballot paper, and a ballot box to put it in. They also give you access to the main roll and supplementary rolls for your area, which can be in printed or electronic form as supplied under section 123, and enough ballot papers.

The Returning Officer also displays important information at the polling place. You will see either the names of political parties that submitted a list under section 127, along with their candidates, or copies of information published under section 147(3)(a).

The Returning Officer has to make sure all these things are available so you can vote easily and privately.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM309692.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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Part 6Elections
Polling at elections

157Materials for polling places

  1. The Returning Officer must ensure that each polling place has the following things for the purposes of the poll:

  2. 1 or more inner compartments to enable voters to vote in secret:
    1. in each inner compartment, suitable facilities for the marking of ballot papers:
      1. 1 or more ballot boxes:
        1. 1 or more copies (in printed or electronic form and as supplied under section 123) of the main roll and supplementary rolls for the district:
          1. a sufficient number of ballot papers.

            1. The Returning Officer must ensure that there is displayed prominently in every polling place either—

            2. the name of each political party that submitted a list in accordance with section 127 and, under the name of each political party, the names of the political party’s list candidates in the political party’s order of preference (up to a maximum of 65 candidates); or
              1. copies of the information published under section 147(3)(a).

                Notes
                • Section 157: substituted, on , by section 63 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1).
                • Section 157(1)(d): amended, on , by section 77(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
                • Section 157(2)(b): amended, on , by section 77(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).