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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 apply to register a political party in New Zealand"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

To register a political party, you can apply to the Electoral Commission. You can do this if you are the secretary of the party or a member of Parliament who is a current financial member of that party. You must make the application in writing and sign it. The application must include the party's name and the name and address of the person making the application.

You also need to provide the name and address of the party's auditor, who must be eligible under section 206K, and get their signed consent to the appointment. The application must be accompanied by evidence that the party has at least 500 current financial members who are eligible to enrol as electors. This evidence must be in a form approved by the Electoral Commission.

You must also make a declaration that the party has at least 500 current financial members who are eligible to enrol as electors, which must be made in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. The application must include a declaration about what the party intends to do at general elections, which must also be made in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.

The party's secretary must make a declaration stating whether the party has any component parties and, if so, the names of those parties, which must be made in the manner provided by section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. You must pay the application fee payable under section 63A when you make the application. When the Electoral Commission gets your application, they will deal with it and decide whether the party can be registered. The Electoral Commission does not have to deal with your application if you withdraw it in writing.

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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.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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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 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)(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).