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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Change of address

89B: Elector must give notice of change of place of residence within electoral district

You could also call this:

"Tell the Electoral Commission your new address if you move house within your voting area"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

If you are registered to vote in an electoral district and you move to a new house within that district, you must tell the Electoral Commission. You have two months to do this after you move. You need to tell them your new address. You can do this in writing or online. If you have a disability, you can ask someone to help you tell the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission will then update your details on the voting list and let you know they have done this, as set out in section 94A. If you do not tell the Electoral Commission about your new address, you might get a fine. However, you will still be able to vote in the electoral district where you are registered. But if you tell them before they start a prosecution, you will not get a fine for not telling them earlier.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6011661.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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89A: Notice of registration, or

"You get a notice in the mail after you sign up to vote."

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89C: Elector must give notice of change of place of residence to different electoral district, or

"Tell the Electoral Commission if you move to a new house in a different area"

Part 5Registration of electors
Change of address

89BElector must give notice of change of place of residence within electoral district

  1. This section applies to an elector who, being registered as an elector of an electoral district, changes his or her place of residence within that district.

  2. The elector must, within 2 months after the date on which he or she changed his or her place of residence, give notice of—

  3. the change of his or her place of residence; and
    1. the address of the new place of residence.

      1. Notice under subsection (2) must be given—

      2. in writing to the Electoral Commission; or
        1. in an approved electronic medium.

          1. An elector who has a physical or mental impairment may give notice under subsection (2) through a representative, and section 86 applies with any necessary modifications.

          2. On receiving a notice under subsection (2), the Electoral Commission must—

          3. amend the roll to record the change in the elector's place of residence; and
            1. give confirmation to the elector, in accordance with section 94A, of that amendment.

              1. An elector who knowingly and wilfully fails to comply with subsection (2)—

              2. commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine—
                1. not exceeding $50 on a first conviction; and
                  1. not exceeding $100 on any subsequent conviction; but
                  2. is not, by reason only of that failure, disqualified from voting at an election in the electoral district in which he or she is registered.

                    1. Despite subsection (6), an elector who gives notice of the matters specified in subsection (2) after the expiry of the period referred to in that subsection but before the commencement of a prosecution is not liable for prosecution for his or her earlier failure to give notice.

                    Notes
                    • Section 89B: inserted, on , by section 22 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 8).
                    • Section 89B(3)(a): amended, on , by section 29(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).
                    • Section 89B(5): amended, on , by section 29(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 9).