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Local Electoral Act 2001

Offences

127: Undue influence

You could also call this:

"Forcing someone to vote a certain way is against the law"

Illustration for Local Electoral Act 2001

You commit the offence of undue influence if you use force or threats against someone to make them vote or not vote. You also commit this offence if you stop someone from voting freely or make them vote against their will. If you do this, you can be sent to prison for up to 2 years.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM94791.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal lawGovernment and voting > Elections
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126: Treating, or

"Bribing voters with food, drink, or entertainment to influence their vote"

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128: Personation, or

"Voting in someone else's name or voting more than once is called personation."

Part 7Offences

127Undue influence

  1. Every person commits the offence of undue influence—

  2. who, directly or indirectly, on that person's own or by another person, makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence, or restraint against any person—
    1. in order to induce or compel that person to vote or refrain from voting:
      1. on account of that person having voted or refrained from voting:
      2. who, by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or means,—
        1. impedes or prevents the free exercise of the vote of any elector:
          1. compels, induces, or prevails upon any elector either to vote or to refrain from voting.

          2. Every person who commits the offence of undue influence is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.

          Compare
          • 1976 No 144 s 59
          • 1997 No 13 s 59
          Notes
          • Section 127(2): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).