Local Electoral Act 2001

Conduct of elections and polls - Voting, processing, and counting of votes

83: Scrutiny of roll

You could also call this:

"Checking the voting list to make sure everyone only votes once"

Illustration for Local Electoral Act 2001

You need to know what happens when votes are counted. The electoral officer checks the roll before counting votes. They write down the names of people who seem to have voted. The electoral officer looks at the votes to make sure no one voted more than once. If someone voted more than once, their votes are not counted, unless the electoral officer is sure they only voted once and someone else voted in their name, then their vote is counted and the other votes are not. The electoral officer follows the rules in section 82 and section 68(4) when checking the roll.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on 26 November 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM94398.

Topics:

Government and voting > Elections

82: Justices of the Peace to observe processing before close of voting, or

"Justices of the Peace check voting documents are counted fairly"

84: Counting of votes, or

"How votes are counted after voting closes"

Part 3Conduct of elections and polls
Voting, processing, and counting of votes

83Scrutiny of roll

The electoral officer must, in the presence of those scrutineers who choose to be present and any Justice of the Peace appointed under section 82 who chooses to be present, record, before the counting of the votes, the name of all electors who appear to have voted at the election or poll.
If the electoral officer is satisfied that more than 1 vote has been cast in the name of any elector at the same election or poll, the electoral officer must disallow every vote cast in the name of that elector, in the prescribed manner.
Despite subsection (2), if the electoral officer is satisfied that the elector cast only 1 vote and was not in any way involved with the casting of the other vote or votes, the electoral officer must allow the elector's vote and disallow the other vote or votes.
Subsection (1) is subject to section 68(4).

Notes

Section 83(1): amended, on 7 July 2004, by section 12 of the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 62).