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Electoral Act 1993

Elections - Polling disruptions

195B: Alternative voting processes to respond to polling disruption

You could also call this:

"What happens if there's a problem at a voting place and how it gets fixed"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

If something unexpected happens at a polling place before or on voting day, the Chief Electoral Officer can use different voting processes. You might be affected by this if there is a disruption at a polling place where you vote. The Chief Electoral Officer will decide the best way to deal with the disruption.

The Chief Electoral Officer can change some of the usual voting rules to help with the disruption. This could mean extending the hours you can vote or using electronic voting papers. You can find out more about what an advance polling place is by looking at section 197A(10).

The Chief Electoral Officer will try to make sure everyone can still vote even if something unexpected happens. They will choose the best solution to the problem. This will help make sure the voting process is fair and works smoothly.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS323973.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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195A: Adjournment of poll on polling day, or

"Stopping voting on election day if there's a big problem"

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195C: Matters Chief Electoral Officer must have regard to when exercising discretion under section 195A or 195B, or

"What the Chief Electoral Officer must think about when making some decisions"

Part 6Elections
Polling disruptions

195BAlternative voting processes to respond to polling disruption

  1. This section applies if—

  2. an unforeseen or unavoidable disruption occurs at 1 or more advance polling places that may reasonably be expected to continue until polling day; or
    1. an unforeseen or unavoidable disruption occurs at 1 or more polling places on polling day.

      1. The Chief Electoral Officer may manage an unforeseen or unavoidable disruption to which this section applies by using alternative voting processes if the Chief Electoral Officer considers that doing so is the most appropriate and efficient way to address the disruption.

      2. The alternative voting processes referred to in subsection (2) may modify or adapt any requirements, processes, or procedures specified by or prescribed under this Act (for example, the Chief Electoral Officer may extend the polling hours, or extend to voters in New Zealand the procedure for the electronic issue of voting papers that is available to voters outside New Zealand).

      3. In this section, advance polling place has the same meaning given to it in section 197A(10).

      Notes
      • Section 195B: inserted, on , by section 17 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 2).