Search/Archives upgrade

We don’t allow people to comment on The Standard during election day. The primary reason for this is s197 of the Electoral Act 1993. Normally I’d quote the relevant bit. But this section along with s197a is longer than the whole of many Parliamentary Acts. Suffice it to say that we don’t know exactly what this section covers with relation to commentary by commenters on this site, and we can’t be bothered moderating it between 0000 and 1900 on election day.

So instead, I’ve given you a upgrade to the search and archive sections of the site so you can find something to read with endless segmentation.You get a day to complain about it before I have to silence the complaints 😈

For your information, this is an explainer at RNZ paraphrasing what the Electoral Commission has to say.

Do I have to take down everything I’ve ever written in the past about the election?

No. You’re not required to remove existing material on websites or social media as long as you don’t update it on election day or advertise it, or repost old material on election day, and as long as it’s only available to people who choose to access it.

Even things like having your profile picture promoting a party or candidate could be considered an offence, so check your socials carefully.

“The Electoral Commission does not ask people to completely remove stuff from social media or websites on election day, as long as people are not actively being pushed towards that content and only see it when they decide to access it voluntarily,” Krewel said.

“Asking for everything to be removed entirely is probably also unrealistic these days.”

There is an argument that restrictions laid out in the Electoral Act 1993 aren’t quite fit for purpose in 2026, and that plenty of influencing still goes on during early voting.

“With advance voting becoming increasingly popular and many New Zealanders casting their ballots well before election day, the regulation is becoming somewhat outdated,” Krewel noted.

“We essentially have a situation where some voters are still exposed to active campaigning right up until the moment they cast their vote, while those who vote on election day get a campaign-free environment. So the original rationale for the restriction is becoming less convincing as voting habits change.”

Many people probably aren’t even aware of the restrictions on election day posting, Krewel said.

“Most people probably know the basics, but I doubt that many are aware that something as seemingly harmless as posting ‘Vote for the Greens!’ on their personal social media account on election day could constitute a breach of electoral law.”

Krewel said the restrictions “strike a fair balance” as people can still seek out previous information online on voting day if they wish, but they also give voters a break from a feed full of election hype on the day itself.

Currently the search and archive feature has a few bugs on small screens (ie it is useless). Hopefully I’ll fix that soon.

I’m planning to add a random selector of old posts as well and maybe comments?. That is because I was reading some and getting amused by them.