Palmerston North City Council Candidates Information Booklet

The period for which campaign expenditure limits apply is three months beforeElection Day (that is, from 12 July 2013 to 12 October 2013).Return of Electoral Donations and ExpensesA Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses form is required to be supplied to theElectoral Officer within 55 days after the official declaration of results. A copy of thisform is separately enclosed. The contents of this form are specified in Schedule 2of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (see pages 37-38 of this handbook). Candidates arerequired to submit a return whether or not they have been elected, and must alsosubmit a return if there are no donations or expenses to declare.If an election is not required (that is, for those candidates elected unopposed), the55 days will apply from the date of the Electoral Officer’s public notification of thecandidates’ election which would be made shortly after the close of nominations.The returns are a public document and will be displayed on the Palmerston NorthCity Council website for seven years after the election. The returns can also beinspected by any person, and copies will be made available if requested.Each candidate is required to take all reasonable steps to retain records, documentsand accounts necessary to enable their return of electoral donations and expenses tobe verified. Every payment of $200 or more (GST inclusive) for electoral expensesmust also be vouched by a bill stating the particulars, together with a receipt. Whilecandidates are therefore advised to retain all invoices, receipts and other documents,these need not be submitted with returns.Electoral DonationsPart A of the form covers electoral donations. Candidates are required to declareinformation about: Every donation received that exceeds $1,500. Every anonymous donation received that exceeds $1,500. Every donation funded from contributions that exceeds $1,500.The above amounts are GST inclusive, and the $1,500 sum applies to the aggregateof donations made by the same donor or to the same contributor.The Local Electoral Act applies to all donations received, regardless of whether or notthe donation was made before the three month election period commences.However, for the 2013 elections, some transitional provisions apply as set out insection 45 of the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2013. The general effect of thetransitional provisions is that the rules for donations for the 2013 elections apply toany candidate donation received from 1 July 2013.26 Palmerston North City Council Elections 2013