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Referendums Framework Bill

Provisions relating to referendum - Counting of votes and declaration of votes

20: Procedures before manager of polling place starts preliminary count of votes in general election

You could also call this:

"What happens before votes are counted in an election and referendum"

Illustration for Referendums Framework Bill

Before a manager starts counting votes in a general election, they can open referendum ballot boxes. They can take out ballot papers from these boxes that were used in the general election. The manager must include these ballot papers when they start counting the votes.

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This page was last updated on 25 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1028647.

Topics:

Government and voting > Elections

19: Provisions of 1993 Act not to apply to count of referendum votes, or

"Some old rules won't apply when counting referendum votes"

21: Referendum voting papers sent to returning officer before being counted, or

"Send referendum voting papers to the person in charge after the election"

Part 2Provisions relating to referendum
Counting of votes and declaration of votes

20Procedures before manager of polling place starts preliminary count of votes in general election

Before the manager of a polling place starts the preliminary count of votes cast in a general election under section 174 of the 1993 Act, the manager may unseal any referendum ballot boxes and remove any ballot papers for that general election from those boxes.
The ballot papers removed must be included in the preliminary count of votes in that general election.