If you're on the electoral roll, you're all set to vote in the local elections! Your voting pack will be sent to you by mail in September 2025.
Not enrolled yet?
It's not too late, you have until 1 August 2025 to get enrolled. If you enroll after 1 August 2025, you'll need to do a special vote.
Who can enrol?
You can enrol if:
- you're 18 or older
- you're a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- you've lived in New Zealand for over one year at some time in your life
Enrol or update online
Or call 0800 36 76 56 and ask for an enrolment form.
If your voting pack does not arrive in the post, call the Electoral Office on 0800 36 76 56. They will post you out a special voting pack. Unfortunately you can not download voting papers for local elections.
What is a special vote?
If you're not yet enrolled, recently turned 18 or have moved into the district after 1 August 2025, you will need to do a special vote to take part in the elections.
To complete a special vote, you need to:
- Enrol on the Parliamentary electoral roll by 7 October 2025 (it's quick and easy to do online at vote.nz)
- Request a special vote from Council or Election Services (phone 800 922 822)
Both steps need to be completed in order for a special vote to be counted.
Your roll choice
If you’re of Maaori descent and enrolling for the first time, you have an special decision to make. You need to choose which electoral roll you want to be on: the general roll or the Maaori roll. The roll you choose will decide which electorate you vote
in.
Once you’ve enrolled, you can switch rolls during the Maaori Electoral Option which takes place every 5 or 6 years after the Census. If you’re already enrolled, you won’t be able
to change rolls before the 2025 local elections.
Find out more about the Maaori roll
Do you live in one area and pay rates on a property in another area?
Voting is a chance to have a say on what happens in your local community. It's an important way to make your voice heard.
There are two types of voters
Residential Electors – If you are registered to vote on the electoral roll, you are automatically enrolled to vote in local authority elections. You will receive a voting document so that you can vote by post.
Ratepayer Electors - You may also be eligible to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector in a council district if both of these apply:
- you are on the district valuation roll and pay rates in the council district
- the address where you are registered as a Parliamentary elector is outside that council district
Your eligibility to enrol or be nominated as a ratepayer elector may also depend on your individual circumstances as determined by criteria in the Local Electoral Act 2001 and its regulations.
If you believe you meet the criteria to enrol as a ratepayer elector, please read and complete the form below.