Have your say on who represents your community by voting in the 2025 local elections.
Local elections decide who represents us on our city, district, and regional councils.
The people elected to local councils get to make decisions about our daily lives and the future of our towns and cities. They set and collect rates, oversee town planning, and provide services like rubbish collection, parks and libraries.
In some parts of New Zealand, local elections are also held for local and community boards, licensing trusts, and some other organisations.
Māori ward polls
Some local councils that have Māori wards or constituencies will be holding polls at the 2025 local elections to ask voters whether or not they support keeping them.
About Māori wards and constituencies (votelocal.co.nz)
Enrol to have your say
If you’re on the electoral roll, you can vote in the local elections where you live.
You can enrol if you’re 18 or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and have lived in New Zealand for more than one year continuously at some time in your life.
You can enrol or update your details online, or call and ask us on 0800 36 76 56 for help.
If you enrol after Friday 1 August
If you enrol or update your address after 1 August 2025, you won’t get your voting papers sent to you in the mail. You’ll need to contact your council’s electoral officer.
The last day to enrol to vote in the local elections is Friday 10 October 2025.
Electoral officers (votelocal.co.nz)
Māori roll or general roll?
If you’re of New Zealand Māori descent, you can choose to enrol on the Māori roll or the general roll. The roll you choose may affect who you can vote for at local elections.
If you are enrolled and would like to change the roll you are on before the local elections, you need to do it by Thursday 10 July 2025.