Services › Local Elections
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- The Department's role in local elections
- Local election statistics
- 2013 local elections
- Consultation on online voting trial
- Voting document formats
- Important election date
- Further Information
Elections of local authority members, including DHBs are held once every three years. The next elections will be held in 2019 for city and district councils, regional councils and DHBs. In some parts of New Zealand elections will also be held for local and community boards, licensing trusts and some other organisations. All elections are currently held by postal voting.
Information about enrolment at the 2019 Local Elections.
Most elections are conducted using the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system. However, some, including all DHB elections, will be conducted using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.
Consultation – Exposure draft of the Local Electoral (Online Voting Trial) Amendment Regulations 2019
Submissions are now CLOSED.
A number of local authorities are investigating trialling an online voting option at the 2019 local elections for all or some of their electors.
The Department of Internal Affairs is working on a proposed regulatory framework to support an online voting trial, should it proceed. The proposed framework prescribes the procedures, safeguards and outcomes that the operation of a voting method must achieve.
We have developed the Local Electoral (Online Voting Trial) Amendment Regulations 2019 as an exposure draft. This provides an opportunity for interested parties to provide feedback to improve the regulations before they are finalised.
The regulations and the supporting information about the regulations and how they fit in with wider changes related to online voting at the 2019 local elections can be viewed here: www.dia.govt.nz/online-voting-trials-consultation
Submissions CLOSED on Friday 9 November 2018. Feedback is now being considered. A summary of the submissions be may published at a later date.
Local election statistics
Local Authority Election Statistics - reports of election statistics for regional councils, territorial authorities (district and city councils), local and community boards, DHBs and licensing trusts, prepared by the Department of Internal Affairs for the following years' local elections:
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2016
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2013
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2010
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2007
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2004
- Local Authority Election Statistics 2001
- Local Authority Candidates Survey 2007
- Local Government Candidates Survey 2004
- Local Government Candidates Survey 2001
The Department's role in local elections
Under the law, local government is responsible for local electoral issues such as:- the system of voting used by councils
- the appointment of electoral officials
- the conduct of local elections and polls including the option of contracting companies to process and count votes.
The Department of Internal Affairs has a number of particular roles in local authority and district health board (DHB) elections. In summary, the Department:
- administers the relevant legislation
- approves voting document formats
- supports local authorities by supplying an independently certified vote-counting computer programme for STV elections
- participates in the analysis of election results and recommends improvements where appropriate
- in conjunction with other bodies, provides information and responds to queries relating to local elections.
Voting document formats
Section 77 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 provides that a voting document may not be used at an election or poll unless it is consistent with at least one of the general formats that have been approved by the Secretary for Local Government. The formats approved by the Secretary for Local Government may be found by clicking on the links below. Note that for 2019, voting closes 12 midday, Saturday 12 October 2019.- Approval of General Formats for use at Local Elections and Polls (.pdf) 101KB* (signed version)
- Approval of General Formats for use at Local Elections and Polls (.doc) 114KB
- General Formats for Voting Documents (.pdf) 167KB*
Further Information
- Information about the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.
- Information on the management of local elections: see Society of Local Government Managers
- Information about the election process see: local councils website
- The Local Government Commission is an independent statutory body administered by DIA, whose main role is to make decisions on the structure and representation arrangements of local government in New Zealand.