New Zealand has an electoral system that voters can trust. There are many checks and balances to make sure parliamentary elections are fair and the results are accurate.
In this article
- There are many eyes on the election
- What's to stop a person voting twice?
- How do I know that votes aren't tampered with?
- Is it legal to wear a party rosette in a voting place?
There are many eyes on the election
Many people are involved in elections to observe voting, the counting of votes and the recording of results. They include Electoral Commission staff employed from the local community, scrutineers, and Justices of the Peace.
For more information see Election Integrity on elections.nz.
What’s to stop a person voting twice?
After the election, all electoral rolls used to issue votes are consolidated into a master roll for each electorate. If, on comparison of the rolls or checking of special vote declarations, it appears a person received more than one ballot paper, then an investigation is conducted to determine what happened. If the person is found to have voted more than once, all of their ballot papers are extracted and are not counted. The matter is referred to the Chief Electoral Officer to determine whether it should be followed up by the Police.
How do I know that votes aren’t tampered with?
All ballot boxes are sealed and ballot papers tracked throughout the voting period.
Is it legal to wear a party rosette in a voting place?
Any person who is not an electoral official is allowed to wear a party rosette in a voting place. This includes scrutineers who are appointed by candidates and parties to observe the issuing of votes.