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Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Registration

86AAC: Registration of persons disqualified for registration under section 80(1)(c) following discharge

You could also call this:

"Registering to Vote After Leaving a Hospital or Secure Facility"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You are about to be discharged from a hospital or secure facility. The Director of Mental Health must tell you what to do next. They must advise you to register as an elector if you are eligible. You are eligible if you are 18 or over, a New Zealand citizen, and have lived in New Zealand for at least a year. You must apply to the Electoral Commission within a month of being discharged. If you are 17 but not yet 18, you can apply to register after you are discharged. The Director of Mental Health will ask if you want your details sent to the Electoral Commission. If you do, section 80(1)(c) and section 73 have more information. This rule does not apply if you are going to prison.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1563381.

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Topics:
Government and voting > ElectionsHealth and wellbeing > Mental health
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"Voting rights for prisoners moved to hospital or a secure facility"

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86AAD: Director of Mental Health to collect and send registration information to Electoral Commission, or

"Director of Mental Health helps send your voter registration details to the Electoral Commission"

Part 5Registration of electors
Registration

86AACRegistration of persons disqualified for registration under section 80(1)(c) following discharge

  1. Before a person who is disqualified for registration under section 80(1)(c) is discharged from a hospital or secure facility, the Director of Mental Health must, so far as is reasonably practicable,—

  2. advise the person that,—
    1. if they are of or over the age of 18 years and they are a New Zealand citizen or a resident for electoral purposes (as defined in section 73) and have at some time resided continuously in New Zealand for a period of not less than 1 year, they must, within 1 month after the date of their discharge, apply to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector of an electoral district; or
      1. if they are of or over the age of 17 years, but under the age of 18 years, and they are a New Zealand citizen or a resident for electoral purposes (as defined in section 73) and have at some time resided continuously in New Zealand for a period of not less than 1 year, they may, after their discharge, apply to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector of an electoral district; and
      2. ask the person whether they want their registration details sent to the Electoral Commission to facilitate their registration as an elector.

        1. If the person wants their registration details sent to the Electoral Commission to facilitate their registration as an elector, section 86AAD applies.

        2. Subsection (1) does not apply if the person is being discharged to a prison.

        Notes
        • Section 86AAC: inserted, on , by section 12 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).