Local elections — how do they work?

24 August, 2022

By Jack Horsnell

The 2022 local elections are coming up soon. Voting opens on 16 September 2022 and closes at midday on 8 October 2022. Photo: Local Government New Zealand. 

If this is your first time voting in the local elections, you may be wondering how they work. Here is everything you need to know about voting in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

What are local elections? 

Local elections are held every three years. In local elections, we choose who represents our communities on local issues, including public transport accessibility, housing affordability, and clean and safe drinking water. 

What are we electing? 

In Tāmaki Makaurau, we appoint one mayor, 20 ward councillors, and 149 local board members that make up the Auckland Council. 

If you are Māori, you can choose between the Māori roll and the general roll when you first enrol to vote. If you’re on the Māori roll and your local authority has a Māori ward or constituency, you’ll vote for a candidate in the Māori ward.

Elections for District Health Board members are no longer held due to the Ministry of Health reforms in 2021.

What does the Auckland Council do? 

Political decision-making at Auckland Council is shared between the mayor and 20 councillors (our governing body) and the 21 local boards.

The mayor, elected by all Auckland voters leads the governing body of councillors elected by voters from the 13 Auckland wards.

The governing body focuses on the big picture region-wide strategic decisions.

Local boards in Auckland (community boards everywhere else in New Zealand represent their communities and make decisions on local issues, activities, and facilities. Each of the 21 local boards has between five and nine elected members. 

Who can vote? 

Any New Zealand citizen or permanent resident over 18 is eligible to vote for the local bodies representing the area where they live. 

If you live or own property in Auckland, you can vote in Auckland elections. This means those who pay rates on a property in another local area from where they live may be able to vote in both places.

How do I vote?

If you’re enrolled to vote, your local council will send you voting papers in the mail in September.

You must fill out the voting papers and send them in the post to arrive by midday Friday, 8 October, for your vote to be counted. They will come with an envelope, and voting is free. 

If you are not enrolled, you can still vote by casting a special vote. But you will have to enrol by Friday, 7 October 2022, for your vote to be valid.

There will also be locations throughout the city, including some libraries and service centres, where you can drop off your completed voting document and one-stop-shop locations where you can enrol and vote at the same time.

Why do we use postal voting? 

All local government elections in Aotearoa are conducted through postal votes.

Aotearoa is yet to move to online voting, which other countries have implemented due to current electoral legislation set up by the central government that only allows booth or postal voting.

This can disadvantage people who live in precarious rental housing, such as students who constantly move flats.

Who do I vote for?

When you receive your voting papers in the mail in September, you will get a pamphlet with every candidate’s name and a blurb about who they are to inform your decision. 

Whatever you decide, it is important to get out there and vote. Less than 50% of eligible voters cast local election ballots in the last election in 2019.

bFM News will have local election coverage over the coming months to help you make a decision, including interviews with Auckland mayoral candidates.

Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air