Voting 101: have your say in the local body elections

By voting, you have your say on things like libraries, pools, community centres, recycling and rubbish collection – in fact, everything from footpaths to the long-term plan for your community. Here’s a quick rundown of what you vote for, the voting systems, and where to find more information.

THE POSITIONS YOU’RE VOTING FOR

The mayor of your city or district
Local ward councillors. Each council’s territory is divided into areas called wards. To make sure everyone is represented, a set number of councillors is elected from each ward. If you’re on the general roll, you’ll vote for councillors to represent the ward you live in.
Māori ward councillors. In many places, if you’re on the Māori roll, you’ll vote for a councillor to represent a Māori ward. Māori wards represent Māori who otherwise might not have a voice in local decisions, and contribute to the wider community. Not every council has a Māori ward.
Regional councillors. The 11 regional councils manage natural resources, environmental issues, and public transport. You can vote for regional councillors if you live within areas covered by a regional council.
Depending on where you live, you may also get to vote for local and community boards (which provide another level of local representation), licensing trusts, and some other organisations.

MĀORI WARD REFERENDA

This year, in many areas, you’ll also vote on whether to keep your council’s Māori ward. The outcome of the poll will be implemented in the 2028 local election.

HOW YOUR VOTE IS COUNTED

First Past the Post

Most local authorities – 62 out of 77 – use First Past the Post (FPP) voting. With FPP you get one vote and the candidate that wins the most votes, wins the election.

Simple? Yes. But it’s also a blunt tool. Because it’s a winner-takes-all approach, FPP results may not reflect the wishes of a significant number of voters.

Single Transferable Vote

To ensure the election results are more proportional to how people actually vote, 15 local authorities use a different voting system called Single Transferable Vote (STV).

With STV you still receive a single vote. But on your ballot, you rank the candidates in order of your preference – writing “1” next to the name of your favourite candidate, “2” next to your second favourite candidate, and so on.

If your favourite candidate doesn’t need all their votes to be elected, or does not get enough votes to be elected, your vote is transferred to your second favourite candidate. You can rank as many or as few candidates as you like. Votes are transferred until enough candidates get enough votes to fill all the positions being voted for.

WHERE IS STV USED?

STV is used in elections for Dunedin City Council, Far North District Council, Gisborne District Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Hamilton City Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Marlborough District Council, Nelson City Council, New Plymouth District Council, Otago Regional Council, Palmerston North City Council, Porirua City Council, Ruapehu District Council, Wellington City Council and Whangārei District Council.

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

Each local authority runs its own election. To find the most relevant information about when, how and where to enrol and vote in your area, visit your local council’s website.