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Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Recount

183: Scrutineers for recounts and allocation of list seats

You could also call this:

"Who can watch the vote counting for elections and seat allocation?"

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You can appoint scrutineers if you are a constituency candidate affected by a recount of electorate votes. You can do this under section 180(1). A political party can also appoint scrutineers for a recount of party votes. If you are a political party, you can appoint scrutineers for a recount of party votes under section 180(2) or section 181(1). You can also appoint scrutineers when the Electoral Commission allocates list seats under sections 191 to 193. When a political party appoints more than one scrutineer, only one can be present at a time, unless the Electoral Commission says more can be there.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM310008.

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Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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182: Ability to combine recounts, or

"You can have one recount for both electorate and party votes, instead of two separate ones."

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184: Ballot papers and certificate to be compared on recount, or

"Checking ballot papers to make sure the vote recount is fair and accurate"

Part 6Elections
Recount

183Scrutineers for recounts and allocation of list seats

  1. Any constituency candidate affected by an application under section 180(1) for a recount of electorate votes in an electoral district may appoint 1 or more scrutineers to be present at the recount.

  2. Any political party affected—

  3. by an application under section 180(2) for a recount of party votes in an electoral district; or
    1. by an application under section 181(1) for recounts of the party votes in every electoral district,—
        1. may appoint 1 or more scrutineers to be present at any such recount.

      1. Any political party listed in the part of the ballot paper that relates to the party vote may appoint 1 or more scrutineers to be present during the allocation of list seats by the Electoral Commission under sections 191 to 193.

      2. Repealed

      3. Repealed

      4. Where a political party appoints more than 1 scrutineer to be present during the allocation of list seats, only 1 scrutineer for that political party, or such greater number as is permitted by the Electoral Commission, shall be present at any one time.

      5. Repealed

      6. Repealed
      Notes
      • Section 183: substituted, on , by section 61 of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).
      • Section 183(3): amended, on , by section 32(1)(a) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 26).
      • Section 183(4): repealed, on , by section 111 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
      • Section 183(4A): repealed, on , by section 111 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
      • Section 183(5): amended, on , by section 32(1)(a) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 26).
      • Section 183(6): repealed, on , by section 111 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
      • Section 183(7): repealed, on , by section 37 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 80).