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Electoral Amendment Act 2001

COOK ISLANDS

ELECTORAL AMENDMENT ACT 2001

ANALYSIS

Title
1. Short title
2. Purpose
3. Interpretation
4. New section 13A inserted
5. Section 26(1) amended

2001, No. 7

An Act to amend the Electoral Act 1998

(31st July 2001

BE IT ENACTED by the Parliament of the Cook Islands in Session assembled, and by authority of the same as follows:

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Electoral Amendment Act 2001 and shall be read together with and deemed part of the Electoral Act 1998 ("the principal ACT").

2. Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to impose an additional residency requirement on persons wishing to register as an elector for any constituency in the Cook Islands.

3. Interpretation

Section 2(1) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, after the definition of "Public notice", the following definition:

"Qualified to be registered as an elector" or "qualified to be registered on the roll", in relation to a particular constituency, includes satisfying the requirement in section 13A in respect of that constituency;" New section 13A inserted;"

4. New section 13A inserted

The principal Act is amended by inserting, after section 13, the following section:

"13A Residency requirement –
(1) Notwithstanding section 13, no person may, from the date of commencement of the Electoral Amendment Act 2001, be registered as an elector for any constituency in the Cook Islands unless that person has resided in that constituency throughout the period of 3 months immediately preceding that person's application for enrolment as an elector.
(2) Where a person who is qualified to be registered in terms of section 13 has not resided in any particular constituency for the 3 month period referred to in subsection (1), that person shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirement in subsection (1) in respect of the constituency where the greatest part of that person's time was spent during that 3 month period."

5. Section 26(1) amended

Section 26(1) is amended by repealing paragraph (c), and substituting the following paragraph:

"(c) that every person who is deemed under section 13A(2) to have satisfied the requirement in section 13A(1) is registered in the correct constituency."

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Justice

RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS: Printed under the authority of the Government of the Cook Islands - 2001