Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Local Electoral Act 2001

Local elections and polls - Electoral rights

20: Right to vote in election or poll

You could also call this:

"Who can vote in local elections and polls"

Illustration for Local Electoral Act 2001

You can vote in an election or poll if your name is on the electoral roll. You must be a residential elector or a ratepayer elector to be on the roll. You get one vote. If you qualified to vote before the election and applied to enrol on time, you can still vote. This is even if your name is not on the roll or your details are wrong. You get one vote. You cannot vote more than once in the same election or poll.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM93945.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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21: Special voting, or

"Voting when you're not on the list or can't vote normally"

Part 2Local elections and polls
Electoral rights

20Right to vote in election or poll

  1. Every person whose name appears on the electoral roll in force in any district of a territorial authority or in the local government area of any other local authority as a residential elector or a ratepayer elector is, unless the person has ceased to possess a qualification as a residential elector or ratepayer elector, an elector and is entitled to exercise 1 vote—

  2. at every election for which that roll indicates the elector is qualified to exercise a vote; and
    1. at every poll for which that roll indicates the elector is qualified to exercise a vote.

      1. Every person who has qualified as a residential elector before the close of voting, and who applied to enrol as an elector not later than the day before the close of voting but whose name does not appear on the electoral roll or whose voting entitlements are incorrectly recorded on that roll, is an elector and is entitled to exercise 1 vote—

      2. at every election for which that elector is qualified to exercise a vote; and
        1. at every poll for which that elector is qualified to exercise a vote.

          1. Every person who has qualified as a ratepayer elector before the close of voting and who applied to enrol as a ratepayer elector not later than the day before the close of voting but whose name does not appear on the electoral roll or whose voting entitlements are incorrectly recorded on that roll, is an elector and is entitled to exercise 1 vote—

          2. at every election for which that elector is qualified to exercise a vote; and
            1. at every poll for which that elector is qualified to exercise a vote.

              1. No person is entitled to vote more than once at the same election or poll.

              Compare
              • 1976 No 144 s 7A