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Section 01
Kupu whakataki Introduction
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Section 02
Te mahi i ngā whakahaere kāwanatanga Public servants at work
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Section 03
Mō te kaimahi tari kāwanatanga i waho atu i ngā hāora mahi Public servants outside work
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Section 04
Ngā kawenga o ngā tari o te kāwanatanga Responsibilities of public sector agencies
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Section 05
Te pānuitanga, te whakaaturanga me te pāpāho Public sector advertising, publicity and the media
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Section 06
Ngā kaimahi tari kāwanatanga me te Pōti Nui The public sector and the general election
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Section 07
Ngā tukanga ā-kāwanatanga mō te pōtitanga Government processes before, during and after an election
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Section 08
Ngā Horopaki Appendix A: Case Studies
He Ārahitanga Pōtitanga Whānui | General Election Guidance 2026 covers what it means to work in the public sector before, during, and after an election. It will help public servants to do the right thing and navigate the heightened sensitivity during an election year.
General elections are a significant part of our democratic form of government. Public servants [1] will be exercising their political rights and freedoms as voters, while continuing to meet their obligations at work. This guidance supports them to maintain political neutrality and applies from the date it is issued, not only during the official pre-election period.
This guidance includes:
- common principles and obligations in this guidance will help public servants in the lead-up to, and immediately after, the 2026 general election
- factors to consider in managing the public sector’s political neutrality obligations alongside personal political interests
- cases studies and provides information on where to get further help on election-related issues and guidance on election preparation for agencies.
Who this guidance is for
This guidance applies to most public sector agencies and their staff. The Public Service Commissioner has issued this guidance under section 19 of the Public Service Act 2020.
It has been issued to the following agencies (referred to as ‘the public sector’ in this guidance):
- Public Service departments, departmental agencies, interdepartmental executive boards and interdepartmental ventures
- Parliamentary Counsel Office
- Crown entities (excluding school boards, Crown Research Institutes and their subsidiaries and tertiary education institutions)
- Public Finance Act 1989 Schedule 4A companies
However, this guidance may be useful for anyone who would like to know more about political neutrality and integrity and conduct obligations for public servants and public sector agencies.
This guidance is for general elections and does not apply to other types of elections, such as local council elections. There are different legislative requirements for regional, city and district council, community board, local board and licensing trust elections.
This guidance is part of He Aratohu | A guide for public servants on matters of integrity and conduct.
He Aratohu | A guide for public servants on matters of integrity and conduct
[1] For the purpose of this guidance, ‘public servant’ means any employee or contractor for the agencies listed in the 'Who this guidance is for' section above.