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Electoral Act 1993

Registration of electors - Registration

86AB: Registration of prisoners released after serving sentence of imprisonment of 3 years or more

You could also call this:

"Voting rights for people released from prison after 3 years or more"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

When you are in prison for 3 years or more, the prison manager must talk to you before you are released. If you are 18 years or older and a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, as defined in section 73, you can register to vote when you get out. You are required by section 82 to apply to the Electoral Commission to register within 1 month after your release.

The prison manager will tell you about this and ask if you want to send your details to the Electoral Commission to help you register to vote. If you want to send your details to the Electoral Commission, section 86B will apply to your situation.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS377096.

Topics:
Government and voting > ElectionsCrime and justice > Criminal law
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86A: Registration of prisoners serving sentence of imprisonment of less than 3 years, or

"Voting rules for prisoners serving less than 3 years in New Zealand"

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86B: Prison manager to collect and send enrolment information to Electoral Commission, or

"Prison staff help prisoners enrol to vote by collecting and sending their details to the Electoral Commission."

Part 5Registration of electors
Registration

86ABRegistration of prisoners released after serving sentence of imprisonment of 3 years or more

  1. Before a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 3 years or more is released on parole or after serving the full sentence, the prison manager must, if the prisoner is 18 years or older,—

  2. advise the prisoner that if they are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of New Zealand (as defined in section 73) they will, on release, be qualified to be registered as an elector of an electoral district, and are required by section 82 to apply to the Electoral Commission, within 1 month after their release, for registration; and
    1. ask the prisoner whether they want their enrolment details sent to the Electoral Commission to facilitate their registration as an elector.

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

      Notes
      • Section 86AB: inserted, on , by section 6 of the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act (No 2) 2020 (2020 No 34).