Electoral Act 1993

Election advertising - General rules governing election advertisements

204F: Election advertisement to include promoter statement

You could also call this:

"Adverts about elections must say who paid for them"

When you publish an election advertisement, it must include a promoter statement. This statement must have the name and contact details of the person or group promoting the advertisement. You must display the promoter statement clearly if the advertisement is visual, or make it easy to hear if the advertisement is audible. If the promoter is a registered group, the name on the statement must match the name on the register. If the promoter is not registered and is a company or organisation, the statement must also include the name of a person who represents the promoter. The promoter statement must be easy to see or hear, depending on the type of advertisement. If you break these rules on purpose, you can be guilty of an illegal practice. You must follow these rules when publishing election advertisements. The rules are in place to make sure people know who is promoting the advertisements.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3486967.

This page was last updated on 29 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Government and voting > Elections

204E: Obligation to retain records necessary to verify promoter's advertising expenses, or

"Keep records of your election ad spending for 3 years so others can check them."

204G: Publication of candidate advertisement promoting candidate, or

"Get a candidate's okay before publishing ads that promote them"

Part 6AAElection advertising
General rules governing election advertisements

204FElection advertisement to include promoter statement

A person may publish or cause or permit to be published an election advertisement only if the advertisement includes a promoter statement.
A promoter statement referred to in subsection (1) must state the name and contact details of the promoter of the election advertisement.
If the promoter is a registered promoter, the name of the promoter stated in the promoter statement must be the same name of the promoter that appears in the register.
If the promoter is an unregistered promoter and is a body corporate or unincorporated, the promoter statement must also include the name of a member of the body who is the duly authorised representative of the promoter.
If the election advertisement is published in a visual form, the promoter statement must be clearly displayed in the advertisement.
If the election advertisement is published only in an audible form, the promoter statement when published must be no less audible than the other content of the advertisement.
A person who wilfully contravenes any of subsections (1) to (6) is guilty of an illegal practice.

Notes

Section 204F: inserted, on 1 January 2011, by section 7 of the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 137).
Section 204F(2): amended, on 1 January 2026, by section 129(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
Section 204F(3): replaced, on 1 January 2026, by section 129(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).