Stand for local government

Local government enables communities, through their elected representatives, to make decisions about the way their district, city or region works today and for the future.

By being an elected a member of a council, or local or community board, you’ll be making a positive difference for people and communities for today and into the future.

People elected to sit on Council or a Board are responsible for representing their community and for the governance of the community. A further key responsibility is to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi.

Representation is to speak on behalf of individuals and organisations in your community, to act in their best interests, make decisions that consider the needs of both current and future generations. It is about fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging and ensuring all voices are heard.

Māori candidates can stand for a Māori ward or general ward

Māori wards in Local Government are the equivalent of Māori electorates, or seats, in Central Government. Their purpose is to provide specific democratic representation for Māori who otherwise may not have a voice in government. Only those on the Māori Parliamentary electoral roll can vote for candidates standing in the Māori wards. 

Māori wards exist alongside general wards, covering the same geographic areas, but they do not only represent Māori. Like all Elected Members, whether elected from general or Māori wards, they represent the entire community when sitting on Council.

Māori wards provide a way for Māori to contribute to decision-making and have representation at council.

Eligibility criteria and nominees

To be eligible to stand for a Māori ward or constituency, a candidate must be a New Zealand citizen and their name must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll anywhere in New Zealand. They do not need to reside in the area (city, district, ward, constituency) that they are standing for.

They will need to be nominated by two electors whose names appear on the Māori electoral roll within the area of election for which the candidate is standing.

Equally, if a candidate is on the Māori electoral roll they can stand in a general ward, and will need to be nominated by two electors whose names appear on the general electoral roll within the area of election for which they are standing.

Other requirements are that:

• The candidate or their spouse/partner must not have concerns or interests in contracts over $25,000 with the council.
• If the candidate is subject to a Court Order under section 31 of the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988, they should take legal advice.
• If the candidate is an employee of the council, they must resign before taking up their position as an elected member. The rules of some councils may require them to take leave for campaigning prior to the election.

There are no formal qualifications required to become a candidate in the local elections. Elected members come from all walks of life and have a desire to serve their community.

Iwi and hapū endorsement

If candidates wish to list whānau, hapū or iwi details as an affiliation, an endorsement or confirmation letter from a Marae, Whānau Trust, Iwi Authority, or other Māori organisation would be required. It is acknowledged whakapapa is a birth right and situations may occur where candidates may not feel they need to provide proof, in which case whakapapa can be highlighted in the context of the candidate profile statement and other forums and activities.

How do I do my candidate nomination?

Nominations open on Friday 4 July and close on Friday 1 August 2025 at midday. Nominations must be lodged with the electoral officer at the council the person is standing for.

Lodgement should not be left until the last day because if there are any problems with the details provided there might be insufficient time to resolve them and the nominee could miss out.

150-word candidate profile statement

Candidates may provide the electoral officer with a candidate profile statement with their nomination. This is a statement of up to 150 words containing information about themselves and their policies and intentions if elected.

The profile may include a recent passport size photograph. The candidate profile statement must be true and accurate. The electoral officer is not required to verify or investigate any information included in this statement and it will be included with the voting document sent to each elector.

If candidates choose not to supply a profile statement or photograph, then a message will appear in the profile booklet that a statement/photograph was not supplied by the candidate.

If a candidate profile statement is submitted in Māori and English, the information contained in each language must be substantially consistent with the information contained in the other language. Therefore, in the case where a candidate includes a mihi or greeting as part of a candidate profile statement provided in Māori, the mihi or greeting should be explained in the English version in a manner substantially consistent with the Māori version – still within the 150-word limit.