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Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Registration

86D: Registration of prisoners disqualified for registration under section 80(1)(d) following release

You could also call this:

"Help for prisoners to register to vote after leaving prison"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

You are a prisoner who cannot vote because of a rule in the Electoral Act. Before you leave prison, the prison manager must tell you about voting rules. They must explain that if you are 18 or older and a New Zealand citizen, you must apply to vote within a month of leaving prison. You can apply to vote if you are 17 or older but not yet 18, and a New Zealand citizen. The prison manager will ask if you want them to send your details to the Electoral Commission to help you register to vote. If you say yes, another part of the law, section 86E, will apply. The prison manager must follow these rules before you leave 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=LMS370173.

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Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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86C: Prison manager to inform prisoners removed from hospital or secure facility of disqualification for registration, or

"Prison staff must tell prisoners they can't vote after moving from hospital or a secure facility"

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86E: Prison manager to collect and send registration information to Electoral Commission, or

"Prison staff help prisoners register to vote by sending their details to the Electoral Commission."

Part 5Registration of electors
Registration

86DRegistration of prisoners disqualified for registration under section 80(1)(d) following release

  1. Before a prisoner who is disqualified for registration as an elector under section 80(1)(d) is released from prison, the prison manager must—

  2. advise the prisoner 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 release, 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 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 release, apply to the Electoral Commission for registration as an elector of an electoral district; and
      2. ask the prisoner whether they want their registration details sent to the Electoral Commission to facilitate their registration as an elector.

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

        Notes
        • Section 86D: replaced, on , by section 13 of the Electoral Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 82).