You may qualify to vote in both areas if you meet the enrolment criteria which are outlined below.

Everyone on the Parliamentary electoral roll is a “residential elector”. This is based on the address you gave when enrolling. Your voting documents will be sent to this address.

However, if you also pay rates to a different council from where you live, or you pay rates on a property that has a community or local board different from where you live, you may also be eligible to enrol as a ‘non-resident ratepayer elector’.

In order to vote in a different election from where you live, you need to get onto the ‘non-resident ratepayer electoral roll’.

Not on the roll but think you qualify?

New electoral rolls are compiled every three years for local authority elections

1. Contact the council you pay rates to but don’t reside within.
2. Get them to confirm if you qualify as a ratepayer elector.
3. Ask for an Enrolment Form for Ratepayer Electors.
4. Complete the form and send it to your local electoral officer to enrol.

Get your form early so you can get answers to any questions you have about the form or being on the Electoral Roll before the roll closes on Friday 1 August 2025.

You can still enrol after 1 August 2025 but will need to cast a ‘special vote’.

Q. How do I know if I should apply to be a non-resident ratepayer elector?

As an individual

You pay rates on a property in another council area such as a holiday home, rental property, shop, commercial or industrial property you can apply.

As a couple or group of people

More than one person pays rates on the same property in another council area from where you live, such as partners, joint tenants, or tenants in common who collectively pay rates.

As an organisation

The organisation you are associated with (company, trust, society, club etc) pays rates in another council area from where the organisation is based or you as the organisation representative live.

Q. How can I enrol on the non-resident Ratepayer Electoral Roll?

You need a non-resident ratepayer enrolment form to enrol. You can get this by:

• Visiting the website of the council you pay rates to but don’t reside within. Council’s generally have these available on their websites for download, or
• Contacting the council you pay rates to but don’t reside within and ask them to send you a copy either by email or post
• Contacting your council’s Electoral Officer or Deputy Electoral Officer and asking them to send you a copy either by email or post. Electoral Officer contact details can be found at the end of this document.

Q. Where is the non-resident ratepayer roll held?

Each council compiles and holds its own non-resident ratepayer roll. Enrolment is not automatic but by application on a prescribed form. This roll will be available for public inspection from Friday 4 July 2025.

Q. Why isn’t enrolment automatic for non-resident ratepayers?

Councils do not know where rate payers are enrolled on the electoral roll and therefore do not know their voting entitlements. In addition, some properties are owned by more than one person and the council does not know which one of them will be the non-resident ratepayer elector.

Q. I have registered in previous council elections for the non-resident ratepayer roll. Do I have to register again?

If you have previously enrolled or were nominated as a ratepayer elector an Enrolment Confirmation Form will be issued to you between 1 March 2025 and 30 April 2025.

When you get the form, check that the details are correct and. if so, sign the form and return it in the Freepost envelope. If the details have changed since you last voted, amend them, then sign and return the form.

If you have not received the form or have misplaced it, contact the Electoral Officer for the council you pay rates to, to re-send you the confirmation form. Electoral Officer contact details can be found at the end of this document.

The roll is not permanently held and enrolment must be done each election even if non-resident ratepayers have enrolled in prior elections.

Q. Our property is owned by a business, company, trust, partnership, or group.  How does it enrol on the non-resident ratepayer roll?

If the rates notice is addressed to a business or company or trust or partnership or group, then  a representative (an owner or manager or director etc) can be nominated to be enrolled as the non-resident ratepayer elector. They will have to meet the requirement to be registered on the residential electoral roll outside of the council area of the property.

Examples:

My partner and I live in Wellington Central but have a rental property in Rotorua

• Both you and your partner can vote as residential electors in Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council elections, plus
• One of you can be nominated as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in the Rotorua Lakes District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council elections.

I live in Invercargill but my company has a building in Auckland

• You can vote as a residential elector in Invercargill City Council and Southland Regional Council elections, plus
• A member of your company, living outside of the Auckland Council area, can be nominated as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in the Auckland Council elections.

Q. What is the process for nominating a non-resident ratepayer for my business, company, trust, partnership, or group?

Only one person can be the ratepayer elector and your entity only has one vote in this situation

The person nominated to be the elector must consent to the nomination and cannot be a non-resident ratepayer elector for any other property within the same council area.

The person nominated and the person nominating:

• must be registered as parliamentary electors and
• must live at an address outside that council area where the property is located.

Q. Is there an unpublished non-resident ratepayer roll?

If you are on the unpublished parliamentary roll and want to maintain your privacy on the non-resident ratepayer roll, talk to the Electoral Officer of the council you are enrolling with about your situation.

Q. How many times can I be on the non-resident ratepayer roll within the same council area?

You can be on the non-resident ratepayer roll more than once in the same council for different community board or local board areas.

If you have further questions

Contact your Council’s Electoral Officer, details are here.