Elections New Zealand
Biography
Elections New Zealand covers several agencies with different roles in the administration of New Zealand's electoral system.
Electoral Enrolment Centre
The Electoral Enrolment Centre maintains electoral rolls and conducts the Maori Electoral Option. The centre is a self-contained business unit of New Zealand Post Ltd, under contract to the Minister of Justice. The centre has a team of Registrars of Electors - one for each electorate. The Registrars are responsible for compiling and maintaining the electoral rolls for their electorate. As well as maintaining the electoral rolls on a daily basis and conducting enrolment update campaigns prior to all major electoral events, the Registrars also work in their local communities to encourage eligible electors to enrol. This is to ensure the maximum number of eligible electors are enrolled to vote in Parliamentary, local council and district health board elections, by-elections, referenda and polls.
Chief Electoral Office
The Chief Electoral Office conducts General Elections, by-elections and referenda. The office is a division of the Ministry of Justice. In a General Election year, the Office employs Returning Officers for the 70 electorates. It receives returns of donations and election expenses from parliamentary candidates. It also provides information to voters, candidates and parties relating to electoral events.
Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is an independent Crown entity which registers political parties and party logos. It also receives donations protected from disclosure, registered parties' annual returns of donations and returns of election expenses, and it allocates election broadcasting time and funds to eligible political parties. The Commission also encourages and conducts public education about electoral matters.
Representation Commission
The Representation Commission is an independent statutory body that determines the boundaries of General electorates and Maori electorates after each five-yearly population census and Maori Electoral Option. The electoral boundaries were last updated in April 2002.
The Representation Commission for General electorates has seven members:
Four people are members of the Representation Commission ex officio: the Government Statistician, the Surveyor-General, the Chief Electoral Officer, and the Chairperson of the Local Government Commission. Two members are appointed by the Governor-General. One represents the party or parties in Government, and the other represents the party or parties in Opposition. A chairperson (normally a District Court judge) is nominated by the other members of the Representation Commission (except the Chairperson of the Local Government Commission), and is appointed by the Governor-General.
When the boundaries of the Maori electorates are to be drawn, the Commission is joined by three more members: The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Maori Development (Te Puni Kokiri) ex officio. Two further members appointed by the Governor-General, each of whom must be Maori. One represents the party or parties in Government, and the other represents the party or parties in Opposition. The Commission is serviced by the Chief Electoral Office
Justice Sector
The electoral agencies do their jobs independently and impartially in accordance with electoral law. They are part of the Justice Sector and funded from Vote Justice, which is the responsibility of the Minister of Justice. The Ministry of Justice has primary responsibility for policy development.
http://www.elections.org.nz/sitehelp/about.html
Electoral Enrolment Centre
The Electoral Enrolment Centre maintains electoral rolls and conducts the Maori Electoral Option. The centre is a self-contained business unit of New Zealand Post Ltd, under contract to the Minister of Justice. The centre has a team of Registrars of Electors - one for each electorate. The Registrars are responsible for compiling and maintaining the electoral rolls for their electorate. As well as maintaining the electoral rolls on a daily basis and conducting enrolment update campaigns prior to all major electoral events, the Registrars also work in their local communities to encourage eligible electors to enrol. This is to ensure the maximum number of eligible electors are enrolled to vote in Parliamentary, local council and district health board elections, by-elections, referenda and polls.
Chief Electoral Office
The Chief Electoral Office conducts General Elections, by-elections and referenda. The office is a division of the Ministry of Justice. In a General Election year, the Office employs Returning Officers for the 70 electorates. It receives returns of donations and election expenses from parliamentary candidates. It also provides information to voters, candidates and parties relating to electoral events.
Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is an independent Crown entity which registers political parties and party logos. It also receives donations protected from disclosure, registered parties' annual returns of donations and returns of election expenses, and it allocates election broadcasting time and funds to eligible political parties. The Commission also encourages and conducts public education about electoral matters.
Representation Commission
The Representation Commission is an independent statutory body that determines the boundaries of General electorates and Maori electorates after each five-yearly population census and Maori Electoral Option. The electoral boundaries were last updated in April 2002.
The Representation Commission for General electorates has seven members:
Four people are members of the Representation Commission ex officio: the Government Statistician, the Surveyor-General, the Chief Electoral Officer, and the Chairperson of the Local Government Commission. Two members are appointed by the Governor-General. One represents the party or parties in Government, and the other represents the party or parties in Opposition. A chairperson (normally a District Court judge) is nominated by the other members of the Representation Commission (except the Chairperson of the Local Government Commission), and is appointed by the Governor-General.
When the boundaries of the Maori electorates are to be drawn, the Commission is joined by three more members: The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Maori Development (Te Puni Kokiri) ex officio. Two further members appointed by the Governor-General, each of whom must be Maori. One represents the party or parties in Government, and the other represents the party or parties in Opposition. The Commission is serviced by the Chief Electoral Office
Justice Sector
The electoral agencies do their jobs independently and impartially in accordance with electoral law. They are part of the Justice Sector and funded from Vote Justice, which is the responsibility of the Minister of Justice. The Ministry of Justice has primary responsibility for policy development.
http://www.elections.org.nz/sitehelp/about.html