Electoral Act 1993

Election advertising - General rules governing election advertisements

204F: Election advertisement to include promoter statement

You could also call this:

"Ads about elections must say who is paying for them"

When you publish an election advertisement, it must include a promoter statement. This statement must have the name and address of the person or group promoting the advertisement. If the promoter is registered, the details in the statement must match the ones in the register.

If the promoter is not registered and is a company or group, the statement must also include the name of a person who is authorised to represent them. You must clearly display the promoter statement if the advertisement is visual, like a poster or video. If the advertisement is only audio, like a radio ad, the promoter statement must be as clear as the rest of the message.

If you deliberately break these rules, you are doing something illegal.

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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=DLM3486967.

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 address of the promoter of the election advertisement.
If the promoter is a registered promoter, the name and address of the promoter stated in the promoter statement must be the same name and address of the promoter that appear 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).