Rules for the 2025 New Zealand Election to the 39th World Zionist Congress

Election Committee: Rabbi Rube, Michelle Wise, Mike Silverman

New Zealand has 1 mandate at the World Zionist Congress 2025. The New Zealand mandate is intended to represent the views of Jews who live in New Zealand on how they want Israel to look in the future. New Zealand does not have a vote in the Knesset, but has a vote in the WZC. The above appointed committee has developed the following rules for the election of the person who will represent New Zealand at the WZC in October 2025.


Who can vote

Voters must:

  1. Be 18 years of older by 30 June 2025 (DOB will be requested on registration)
  2. Be resident in New Zealand (residential address will be requested on registration)
  3. Be Jewish (self-declaration) and not practicing any other religion
  4. Believe in the right of the State of Israel to exist (self-declaration) and The Jerusalem Program https://www.wzo.org.il/page/extraordinary-congress/jerusalem-program/en
  5. Register to vote by the end of the voting registration period (30 May 2025)
  6. Pay a non-refundable registration fee of $3 NZD at the time of registration
  7. Voters do not need to be a member of a recognized New Zealand Jewish or Zionist organisation, but in order to verify the above eligibility criteria, then will need to provide a Referee of someone known to one of these organisations
  8. If the voter is an Israeli citizen, then in order to be eligible to vote, they need to self-declare that they did NOT vote in the most recent Israel parliamentary election in November 2022

Who can stand for election


  1. The nominee provides 30 signatures of people eligible to vote as per Part 1 (a to e) to support their candidacy. 
  2. A nominee can run as a representative of a WZO recognized political party or declare themselves as an independent
  3. Meet criteria above (1.a-d)
  4. A nominee does not need to be a member of a recognized New Zealand Jewish or Zionist organisation, but in order to verify the above eligibility criteria, then will need to provide a Referee of someone known to one of these organisations
  5. If the nominee is an Israeli citizen, then in order to be eligible to run, they need to self-declare that they did NOT vote in the most recent Israel parliamentary election in November 2022

Voting procedures


  1. The AEC appoints an Elections Officer
  2. The AEC decides on a secure online voting platform
  3. Campaign – the AEC communicates to as many eligible people as possible about the upcoming WZC election, how to register to vote and voting procedures; the AEC organizes a campaign event where nominees can present their party’s platform and answer questions
  4. Potential voters register to vote, providing evidence if needed to support their eligibility, and pay the non-refundable registration fee
  5. The AEC and Elections Officer verify the Voting Register
  6. Voting will occur online by survey software during the voting period (15 March to 30 June 2025)
  7. Where a voter is not able to access electronic voting, they may request a written ballot paper from the Elections Officer by 15 June. The Elections Officer will provide the ballot as soon as possible. The completed ballot must be in the hands of the Elections Officer by 5pm on 30 June.
  8. There will be no proxy votes.
  9. AEC notifies WZO of the NZ representative

Timeline:


  1. Call for NZ nominees for the NZ representative and Elections Officer – 1 March to 23 March
  2. Nominee verification by AEC and Elections Officer – 23 March to 30 March
  3. Campaign starts 28 April ending 30 May
  4. Voting Registry opens 28 April and closes 30 May
  5. Voting Registry verification by AEC/elections officer - 1 June to 14 June
  6. Voting opens on 15 June and ends at 5pm 30 June