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Electoral Act 1993

Registration of political parties and party logos - Registration of political parties

63: Application for registration

You could also call this:

"How to Register a Political Party"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You can apply to register a political party with the Electoral Commission. You must be the party's secretary or a Member of Parliament who is a current financial member of the party. The application must be in writing and signed by you. You need to include the party's name and a shortened version of the name if you want to use one. You must also provide your name and address, and the name and address of the party's secretary if that is not you. The application must include the name and address of the person who will be the party's auditor, and they must agree to the appointment. The application must be accompanied by evidence that the party has at least 500 current financial members who can enrol to vote. You must also declare that the party has at least 500 current financial members who can enrol to vote, and you must do this in a specific way as set out in the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. You must say what the party plans to do at general elections, such as putting forward a list of candidates under section 127, or having candidates stand for the party. The application must include a copy of the party's rules about membership and selecting candidates. You must pay the application fee as set out in section 63A. When the Electoral Commission gets your application, they will deal with it and decide whether the party can be registered.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6011514.

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Government and voting > ElectionsGovernment and voting > Government departments
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62: Register of Political Parties, or

"List of approved political parties in New Zealand"

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63A: Application fee, or

"Paying $500 to apply under section 63 of the Electoral Act"

Part 4Registration of political parties and party logos
Registration of political parties

63Application for registration

  1. An application for the registration of an eligible political party may be made to the Electoral Commission—

  2. by the secretary of the party; or
    1. by any member of Parliament who is a current financial member of that party.

      1. An application for the registration of an eligible political party—

      2. shall be in writing; and
        1. shall be signed by the applicant; and
          1. must—
            1. set out the name of the party; and
              1. if the party wishes to be able to use for the purposes of this Act an abbreviation of its name, set out the name of that abbreviation; and
                1. set out the name and address of the applicant and the capacity in which he or she makes the application; and
                  1. if the applicant is not the secretary of the party, set out the name and address of the secretary of the party; and
                    1. set out the name and address of the person eligible under section 206K who is to be appointed as the auditor of the party, and be accompanied by that person’s signed consent to the appointment; and
                      1. be accompanied by evidence, in a form approved by the Electoral Commission, that the party has at least 500 current financial members who are eligible to enrol as electors; and
                        1. be accompanied by a declaration, made by the secretary of the party in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 that the party has at least 500 current financial members who are eligible to enrol as electors; and
                          2. must be accompanied by a declaration made by the secretary of the party in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957, which declaration must state that the party intends, at general elections,—
                            1. to submit a list of candidates under section 127; or
                              1. to have 1 or more constituency candidates stand for the party or for a related political party; or
                                1. both; and
                                2. shall be accompanied by a declaration made by the secretary of the party in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957, which declaration shall—
                                  1. state whether the party is a party in respect of which there are 1 or more component parties; and
                                    1. where the party has 1 or more component parties, state the name of each component party; and
                                    2. must be accompanied by a copy of—
                                      1. the rules governing membership of the party; and
                                        1. the rules governing the selection of persons to represent the party as candidates for election as members of Parliament; and
                                        2. must be accompanied by the application fee payable under section 63A.

                                          1. Upon receipt of an application for the registration of a political party, the Electoral Commission shall deal with the application in accordance with this Part and determine whether the party can be registered.

                                          2. Notwithstanding subsection (3), the Electoral Commission shall not be obliged to deal with any application for registration if it receives notice in writing withdrawing the application from a person entitled to apply for the registration of that party and the Electoral Commission is satisfied that the application is made by that person on behalf of the party.

                                          3. Repealed
                                          Notes
                                          • Section 63(2)(c): substituted, on , by section 13(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1).
                                          • Section 63(2)(c)(v): amended, on , by section 14 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 1).
                                          • Section 63(2)(c)(viii): repealed, on , by section 14 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 1).
                                          • Section 63(2)(ca): inserted, on , by section 13(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1).
                                          • Section 63(2)(d): added, on , by section 15(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).
                                          • Section 63(2)(d)(ii): amended, on , by section 6(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 8).
                                          • Section 63(2)(da): inserted, on , by section 59 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).
                                          • Section 63(2)(e): inserted, on , by section 6(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 8).
                                          • Section 63(4): added, on , by section 15(3) of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).
                                          • Section 63(5): repealed, on , by section 14 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 1).