Te kāwhiringa pāti 2025 / Local elections 2025
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 2025 local elections
1 July 2025 Candidate nominations open and roll opens for public inspection
1 August 2025 at 12 noon Candidate nominations close and roll closes
6 August 2025 Public notice of candidates’ names
9-22 September 2025 Voting documents delivered
7 October 2025 Last day for posting vote by mail. After this date votes must be returned to council’s secure ballot boxes.
11 October 2025 at 12 noon Election day – voting closes midday
11 October 2025 from 12 noon Preliminary results
16-22 October 2025 Declaration of results
October/November 2025 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 in 2025.
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.
