Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Polling at elections

155A: Use of licensed premises as polling places

You could also call this:

"Voting can happen at pubs or bars if there's no alcohol sold or drunk where you vote."

When you vote, you might go to a place that normally sells alcohol, like a pub. This place can be used as a polling station, but only if you can't buy or drink alcohol in the same area where you vote. You should also be able to get to the voting area without walking through a part of the premises where people are drinking alcohol.

The words "alcohol" and "licensed premises" in this rule have the same meaning as in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. This means that when you hear these words, they refer to the definitions given in that Act. You can find these definitions in section 5(1) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

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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=LMS323793.

Topics:

Government and voting > Elections

155: Power to appoint polling places, or

"Where you can vote: the Electoral Commission chooses polling places"

156: Use of public schools as polling places, or

"Voting at public schools: how schools are used as polling places"

Part 6Elections
Polling at elections

155AUse of licensed premises as polling places

Any licensed premises may be appointed as a polling place under section 155, but only if—
alcohol will not be available for sale, supply, or consumption in that part of the licensed premises where voting papers are issued; and
that part of the licensed premises where voting papers are issued may be accessed without passing through any other part of the licensed premises in which alcohol is being consumed.

In this section, alcohol and licensed premises have the same meanings as in section 5(1) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

Notes

Section 155A: inserted, on 11 March 2020, by section 14 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 2).