Campaign leaflets taken away from Northcote polling booth

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Leaflets left inside a Northcote polling booth break the Electoral Commission rules around campaigning.

One party's political campaigning has broken the rules during advance voting for the Northcote by-election.

The Electoral Commission removed National Party leaflets found inside a voting place at Northcote Central shops on College Rd on Auckland's North Shore.

Campaigning is not allowed in voting places or within 10 metres of the entrance of an advance voting place.

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A copy of the double-sided leaflet that was removed from a Northcote polling booth because it broke the rules.

A voter, who wishes to only be known as Victoria, had used the Northcote booth to place her vote and said a flier for the National candidate was "on a table in the the entrance, in the cardboard voting station itself and there were boxes containing more leaflets behind the desk of the registration people."

"I don't think this was organised by National or anything, but National supporters who feel anxious about a perceived liberal threat," Victoria said.

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said staff check regularly for leaflets and other campaign material that might have been left at a voting place, and will remove any that are found.  

"Over Queen's Birthday weekend, a leaflet was found on a table in the College Rd voting place, and staff removed it as soon as it was brought to their attention," the spokesperson said.

"The Commission is satisfied that appropriate action was taken and will not be taking the matter further."

The leaflet had information on the candidate in several languages.

Victoria was also concerned to see someone working inside the voting place wearing a rosette from a political party.

"This felt hugely inappropriate and had a great potential to influence voters," she said.

However, the Electoral Commission identified this person as a scrutineer and said under the Electoral Act 1993, any person other than an electoral official may wear a party lapel badge, or rosette.

"As scrutineers, who are appointed by candidates to observe the issuing of votes, are not electoral officials they are permitted to wear a lapel badge or rosette while carrying out their scrutineer functions in a voting place," the Electoral Commission spokesperson said.

"Scrutineers are not permitted to communicate with any voter or otherwise attempt to influence them as to how to vote."

There are some differences in the rules around campaigning as the June 9 election day draws near. During advance voting there is the 10m rule around campaigning outside polling places, on election day, no campaigning of any kind is allowed.