Get involved. Stand for election. Vote for the leaders of your community.
Te kāwhiringa pāti 2022 / Local elections 2022
From 21 September 2022, you can vote in your local body elections selecting your next Mayor, Councillors and Board members to represent your voice in decisions made for your community!
Councils and boards have a critical role to play in supporting the resilience and prosperity of all our people, whānau and communities. Making good local decisions matter! Get involved in shaping your community!
Elections are conducted by postal vote and voting closes at noon on Saturday 8 October 2022.
COVID-19 Update
All of New Zealand is now in the Orange Traffic Light Setting as at 13 April 2022.
New Zealand is in the COVID-19 Protection Framework, also known as the traffic lights. This new approach to COVID-19 will introduce more freedoms for vaccinated New Zealanders.
Local government and local elections
Local government is how communities make democratic decisions about how their towns, cities and regions work and how they develop.
Every three years, you get the chance to vote for the people you want to represent you and your community when decisions are being made that affect how we live, work and play in our neighbourhoods.
Stand for election
Your people need you. Aotearoa New Zealand is made up of so many diverse and unique communities. We need all those communities represented and all voices heard when local decisions are being made.
It’s a hard and rewarding role. You’ll be making a positive difference for people and communities for today and into the future.
Vote for your community
Your vote, your voice. No two communities are the same and everyone sees the world differently. That’s why you need to consider what you want the future of your community to be and make your views known by voting.
This is your opportunity to pick the people that you think will best represent you and your whanau in local decision making.
Who can vote?
You’re eligible to enrol and vote if you are 18 years or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and you’ve lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in your life.
View the key dates for the 2022 local elections
15 July 2022 Candidate nominations open and roll opens for public inspection
12 August 2022 at 12 noon Candidate nominations close and roll closes
17 August 2022 Public notice of candidates’ names
16 – 21 September 2022 Voting documents delivered
4 October 2022 Last day for posting vote by mail. After this date votes must be returned to council’s secure ballot boxes.
8 October 2022 at 12 noon Election day – voting closes midday
8 October 2022 from 12 noon Preliminary results
13-19 October 2022 Declaration of results
October/November 2022 Elected members’ swearing in ceremonies
Find out more…
Wherever you
PAY RATES
you can
VOTE
Vote where you pay rates
Do you live in one area and pay rates on a property in another? Then you may qualify to vote in both areas at the local authority elections this October.
Become a Partner
LGNZ would like to thank all our partners for supporting VOTE 2022 and helping us to encourage voters and candidates to take part
Electoral Officers
Each local authority must appoint an electoral officer and a deputy electoral officer. Electoral officers are responsible for all matters relating to a particular election or poll.