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Electoral Act 1993

Corrupt and illegal practices - Illegal practices

221A: Electoral advertisements

You could also call this:

"Rules for Advertising in Elections"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You must not publish any election advertisements without including the true name of the person who made it and their contact details. The Electoral Commission and some other agencies do not have to follow this rule if they say the advertisement is authorised by them. You can be guilty of an illegal practice if you break this rule on purpose.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM310409.

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Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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221: Advertisements for candidates and political parties, or

"Rules about ads for politicians and parties are no longer a law"

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221B: Display of advertisement of a specified kind, or

"Rules for displaying election posters and ads before voting day"

Part 7Corrupt and illegal practices
Illegal practices

221AElectoral advertisements

  1. A person must not publish or cause or permit to be published in any medium, or broadcast or cause or permit to be broadcast in any medium, any advertisement relating to an election (not being an election advertisement as defined in section 3A) unless the advertisement includes a statement specifying—

  2. the true name of the person for whom or at whose direction it is published or broadcast; and
    1. the contact details of that person.

      1. Subsection (1) does not apply to any advertisement published or broadcast, or caused or permitted to be published or broadcast, in any medium, by the Electoral Commission, or any other agency charged with responsibilities in relation to the conduct of any official publicity or information campaign to be conducted on behalf of the Government of New Zealand and relating to electoral matters or the conduct of any general election or by-election and which either contains a statement indicating that the advertisement has been authorised by that officer or agency, or contains a symbol indicating that the advertisement has been authorised by that officer or agency.

      2. Every person is guilty of an illegal practice who wilfully contravenes any provision of subsection (1).

      3. Nothing in this section—

      4. restricts the publication or broadcast in any medium of any news or comments relating to an election made in a newspaper or periodical or by a broadcaster (as that term is defined in section 2(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1989); or
        1. applies to the editorial content of a publication on a news media Internet site; or
          1. applies to any publication on the Internet, or other electronic medium, of personal political views by an individual who does not make or receive a payment in respect of the publication of those views.

            1. In this section,—

              contact details, in relation to a person, has the meaning given in section 204A

                medium includes the internet or any other electronic medium.

                Notes
                • Section 221A: inserted, on , by section 82 of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).
                • Section 221A(1): replaced, on , by section 17(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 72).
                • Section 221A(1)(b): replaced, on , by section 132(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
                • Section 221A(2): amended, on , by section 17(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 72).
                • Section 221A(2): amended, on , by section 52(15) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2011 (2011 No 57).
                • Section 221A(2): amended, on , by section 32(2)(a) of the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 26).
                • Section 221A(4): replaced, on , by section 17(3) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 72).
                • Section 221A(5): replaced, on , by section 132(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).