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General information
Candidates
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Nominations open 4 July 2025 and close midday 1 August. The voting period starts on Tuesday 9 September with election day Saturday 11 October. Voting closes 12 noon on 11 October.
The electoral officer has full responsibility for running the election. The electoral officer is:
Dale Ofsoske
Independent Election Services Ltd
Electoral Office: Level 2, 198 Federal Street,
Auckland
Phone: 0800 922 822
Email: dale.ofsoske@electionservices.co.nz
The council’s electoral liaison person is:
Helen Begg, Deputy Electoral Officer
New Plymouth District Council
84 Liardet Street, New Plymouth
Phone: 06 759 6060
Email: helen.begg@npdc.govt.nz
The New Plymouth District Council uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system, while Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) will use the First Past the Post. Find out more FAQs Voting section.
Eligible voters can vote for the mayor, ward councillors, community board members and Taranaki Regional Council members.
Elections are being held for:
In addition, there will be 20 community board members elected as follows:
Additionally, in 2025, NPDC and TRC are required to run a poll on whether we KEEP or REMOVE Māori ward from the next election.
‘At-large’ Councillors are those elected by voters from across the district, while Ward Councillors represent a geographic area and are elected by voters from within that ward.
Our Māori ward councillor is elected by those enrolled to vote on the Māori electoral roll. General ward councillors are elected by those enrolled to vote on the general electoral roll.
Mayor:
Councillors:
Community board members:
You must be a New Zealand citizen, and your name must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (anywhere in New Zealand).
You will need to have two electors registered in the area of the election you are standing for to nominate you – e.g. if you stand for the Kōhanga Moa General Ward, the nominators will need to be two electors enrolled on the General Parliamentary Electoral Roll. Candidates do not have to live in the area they are standing in but will need to disclose that fact in their candidate profile statement.
The nominators must also be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll at the address they are listed on the nomination paper (which must be in the area that they are nominating the person for).
You can start campaigning at any time, however, anything you spend on your campaign within or outside the three-month applicable period before election day (11 October) must be accounted for.
Nomination papers will be available on this website from 4 July 2025.
Contact the electoral officer closer to this date if you would like a nomination paper and candidate information handbook sent to you or come and ask questions at our candidate information briefing:
When: Saturday 5 July 2025, 3-5pm,
Where: New Plymouth District Council, Council Chamber, Civic Centre, 84 Liardet Street, New Plymouth.
No registration required.
You will need to pay a nomination deposit of $200 GST inclusive. This deposit applies to each election you stand for. Your nomination deposit can be paid by cash, EFTPOS, credit card or electronic bank transfer. Cheques will not be accepted.
If a candidate gets more than 25% of the number of votes needed to be elected (called the 'final quota'), they get their $200 nomination deposit back—even if they aren't elected.
No formal qualification needed! We’re looking for candidates from all walks of life who have a desire to serve their community. Among useful capabilities for elected members are:
No, not for the New Plymouth District Council elections.
Three years.
No, but you must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (anywhere in New Zealand) and be a New Zealand citizen (by birth or naturalisation ceremony). You will need to disclose whether or not you reside in the area you are standing for in your candidate profile statement.
The two people who nominate you must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll within the area you are standing for.
No. To be eligible you must be a New Zealand citizen and your name must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (anywhere in New Zealand).
You will need to be nominated by two electors whose names appear on the Māori Electoral Roll within the area of election for which you are standing.
Equally if you are on the Māori electoral roll you 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 you are standing.
Yes. You can stand for the positions of mayor and a councillor, and a community board member for NPDC, but if elected to more than one, you must take the highest ranked position.
However, you cannot more than one ward or for both an ‘at-large’ councillor position and a ward councillor position or stand for NPDC and the Taranaki Regional Council.
Only if it is withdrawn before the close of nominations. You cannot withdraw voluntarily after nominations have closed. If you decide to opt out, your name will still appear on voting papers.
If you do change your mind after you have been nominated, let the electoral officer know, and they will talk through the issues and process through with you. If you’re withdrawal is as a result of serious illness or injury and unlikely to be able to perform the functions and duties if elected to office, you can apply to withdraw your nomination on those grounds. Verification from a doctor or lawyer about your situation will be required.
This is the statement that tells voters a bit more about you. When you lodge your nomination, you may provide statement of up to 150 words that contains information about yourself, your policies and intentions if elected to office.
It should also include whether or not your principal place of residence is in the area you are seeking election, e.g., ‘My principal place of residence is in the Kōhanga Moa General Ward’, or ‘My principal place of residence is not in the Kōhanga Moa General Ward’. This is not part of the 150-word limit.
You can submit your profile statement in Māori and English, but the information contained in each language must be substantially consistent as the other and also be within the 150-word limit.
Your profile statement must be true and accurate. The electoral officer is not required to verify or investigate any information included in your statement.
Your profile can include a recent passport size colour photograph.
See section 61 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 for more information.
Nominations close at 12 noon Friday 1 August 2025. We recommend not leaving it until the last minute to avoid having to queue or if there is an error, there is time get it corrected.
Campaign spending limits are based on the population of the area you are standing for.
The maximum amount that can be spent by a candidate cannot exceed the limits set out below:
| Local government area population | Expenditure limit (Inclusive of GST) |
| Up to 4,999 | $3,500 |
| 5,000 – 9,999 | $7,000 |
| 10,000 – 19,999 | $14,000 |
| 20,000 – 39,999 | $20,000 |
| 40,000 – 59,999 | $30,000 |
| 60,000 – 79,999 | $40,000 |
| 80,000 – 99,999 | $50,000 |
| 100,000 – 149,999 | $55,000 |
| 150,000 – 249,999 | $60,000 |
| 250,000 – 1,000,000 | $70,000 |
| 1,000,000 or more | $100,000* |
*plus 50 cents for each elector.
[Limits inclusive of GST).
If you stand for more than one position, the amount you can spend is the highest amount for one position. You cannot add positions together to allow you to spend more than the limit.
All candidates are required to lodge an electoral donation, and expenses return within 55 days after the day on which the successful candidates are declared to be elected (by 11 December 2025).
If a candidate is outside New Zealand on this day, the return must be filed within 76 days after election result day.
If a return is not submitted within the required time period, the non-return will be advised to the New Zealand Police for enforcement.
The return needs to be received before a candidate nomination deposit is refunded if appropriate.
You can find more information about this in the candidate handbook.
Yes, you can raise funds and claim expenses from your campaign. There is very specific legislation about donations and expenses which you need to abide by. Contact the electoral officer if you need more information.
Election campaigning can start at any time and continue up to and including election day. However, anything you spend on your campaign within or outside the three-month applicable period before election day (11 October) must be accounted for.
No. Elected members cannot use council resources or channels for their campaigns.
Yes. We have policies and guidelines for our website and social media pages in relation to campaigning. We don't allow our pages to be used by candidates or the public for electioneering or campaigning in the three months before election day. We monitor these regularly and will remove campaign-related posts.
No. Candidates or their assistants should not collect voting documents from electors. Each elector should post or deliver their own voting document to the electoral officer.
It is an offence (carrying a fine of up to $5,000 if convicted) to interfere in any way with an elector with the intention of influencing or advising the elector as to how he or she should vote. Candidates and their assistants should be mindful of this particularly if campaigning occurs in facilities such as rest homes or hospitals.
The preliminary electoral roll will be available for public inspection for a one-month period from Friday 4 July 2025 to Friday 1 August 2025.
The preliminary electoral roll will be available for inspection at:
Anyone 18-years of age and over who lives in New Plymouth District or owns property in the district on which they pay rates but is not their main residence (a non-resident ratepayer), is eligible to vote in these elections.
Not sure or need to update your details? You can either:
- enrol online or download the form at www.vote.nz
- Phone 0800 ENROLNOW (0800 36 76 56)
Changes to the general roll can be made up until 1 August 2025, or you can switch between the Māori or general rolls up until 10 July.
Any changes to the non-resident ratepayer roll should be made through the electoral office (0800 922 822)
If you own a property in this district and it is not your main residence you may be able to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector.
You should enrol where you spend the greater part of your time.
Not necessarily. If you are enrolling for the first time you can decide whether you want to go on the Parliamentary Māori Electoral Roll or the Parliamentary General Electoral Roll on the elector enrolment form. You may have received this in the post or can find it on the Election Commission website vote.nz
However, if you have already made that choice in the previous local or general election and want to change which roll you are on, you have up until 10 July to do that.
Those on the Māori Electoral Roll, can vote for the mayor, the ‘at-large’ councillors, the Māori ward councillor and the respective community board members. Those on the General Electoral Roll will be able to vote for the mayor, the ‘at-large’ councillors, the respective general ward councillors and the respective community board members.
The Electoral Commission has been running a roll update campaign for several months so if you were already enrolled and your details were correct, you should have received something in the mail advising you to update your details if you needed to.
You can check if you are enrolled at vote.nz or by phoning 0800 36 76 56.
Yes, but you need to make sure you have enrolled which you can do provisionally from the age of 17 and it automatically changes when you turn 18.
You will also need to apply for a special vote during the voting period (Tuesday 9 September 2025 to 12 noon, Saturday 11 October 2025).
Yes, you do. However, you do need to be enrolled as a non-resident ratepayer. The enrolment form should be submitted to the electoral officer by Friday 1 August 2025 to have an ordinary vote and no later than Friday 10 October 2025 to receive a special vote.
Go online to check if you are eligible and to enrol or download the non-resident ratepayer enrolment form from our website, or phone 0800 922 822.
Is your name on the rates notice? If yes, then you may be eligible to be on the ratepayer electoral role. Go ratepayer.co.nz to complete the online ratepayer enrolment form or contact the electoral office on 0800 922 822 to request one to be sent to you.
This form should be returned to an electoral official by Friday 1 August so you can receive an ordinary vote and no later than Friday 10 October to receive a special vote.
It may be more convenient to vote at a special voting venue during the voting period and complete the ratepayer enrolment form and have your special vote at the same time.
All councils are required to conduct their elections by postal vote. Voting documents will be posted between Tuesday 9 September and Monday 22 September 2025. There is no online voting option available.
If it is before Monday 22 September, and you believe your enrolment details are correct, please wait until the mail has been delivered on Monday 22 September 2025.
If after 22 September, and they still haven't arrived and you your details are correct, contact the electoral office on 0800 922 822 as you will need to apply for a special vote.
If you have forgotten to enrol or think your details may be incorrect, you will need to complete a Parliamentary Electoral Roll enrolment form available at vote.nz or phone 0800 36 76 56 to get one sent to you with a return envelope. You will also need to apply for a special vote.
Use the original one and destroy the special vote.
No – Power of Attorney does not apply to voting for that person.
If they are overseas, you could fast post them to the person or destroy them if that is not practicable.
If they are for an elderly parent who is incapable of voting, please destroy them by ripping/cutting them up. You cannot vote on their behalf unless instructed by them.
Write GNA (Gone No Address) on the envelope and put it back in the mail.
It is a legal requirement to scan the barcode to mark the electoral roll that you have returned your vote so we can ensure that we do not receive two votes from the same person.
Returned envelopes containing a voting document must be opened in the present of a Justice of the Peace (JP), who is required to sign off that the processes used by the electoral officer meets the legal requirements.
Voters' names are not on the voting document.
When the envelope is opened, the only thing the electoral office is looking for is that the vote for each election is valid.
This means that we are making sure that the voter’s intention is clear and the voter has not ticked or marked more candidates than the voter should have.
No, you don’t have to vote, but we do encourage you to exercise your democratic right.
You don’t have to vote for all candidates or for all elections. But your vote is important because the people elected will be responsible for making decisions about what happens in your community for the next three years.
To help you get to know about the candidates:
You can post it but make sure you have it in the mail by Tuesday 7 October 2025 to make sure it gets back to us in time (by 12 noon Saturday 11 October 2025).
However, you can also hand deliver your voting document to a ballot box during the voting period (Friday 9 September 2025 to 12 noon Saturday 11 October 2025).
You can use your own envelope without a stamp IF sent from within New Zealand and includes the return address (see below). Remember to include the Replypaid number.
Replypaid number 4170
The Electoral Office
New Plymouth District Council
PO Box 5135
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142
You will need to apply for a special vote. See details below.
If you are on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll for the address you want to vote for then you will need to apply for a special vote (see information below).
If you are not sure if you are on the roll, or think your details may be wrong, you can check and update your details at vote.nz or phone 0800 36 76 56
If you can amend it so that your voting intention is clear, then do so.
If necessary, we can issue you with a special voting document (for special vote availability, see below), but this will take time and require you to complete a declaration.
Special votes can be obtained from:
All special votes need to be completed and returned to the electoral officer or an electoral official (at the above location) by noon Saturday 11 October 2025
You will need to apply for a special vote, see above.
Under STV you can vote for all or as many candidates as you wish but these must be in order of your preference and no number can be repeated. Remember for STV, you rank the candidates you want to elect from number 1 onwards.
For FPP you can vote for as many candidates as you want to but not more than the number of positions available on the voting document. So, if you are electing one regional council member then you can vote for one candidate. Remember, for FPP you tick the candidate you want to elect.
You can decide not to vote for one or more of the different elections on your voting document. This does not invalidate votes for other elections on your voting document.
You can only vote for the elections relevant to the area in which you live. You cannot vote for a candidate who is standing in another ward, that you are not on the electoral roll for. Eg you are on the roll to vote in the North Ward, so you cannot vote in the Kohanga Moa ward.
If you don't live at the same address, is your partner on the general or Maori roll? Or do you live in different areas, so you are so eligible to vote in a different ward? This could be why, but you will need to call the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
Please call the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
No. Your vote remains secret under the required separate roll scrutiny and vote counting procedures.
Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, you cannot interfere or influence any person as to how they can vote.
If authorised by a voter who is physically impaired, visually impaired or for whom English is a second language, a person can assist them to vote as directed by the voter. The person assisting must only act as
directed by the elector. Telephone voting will be available for electors with disabilities. To access this service, electors will need to call the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
They are delivered to the New Plymouth District Court and kept for 21 days so that the Court can access them should there be any application for a recount or petition for inquiry.
After 21 days, the Court is responsible for destroying them.
STV (Single Transferable Vote) is used for the New Plymouth District Council elections.
This is a preferential system of voting where you can rank as few or as many candidates as you like. It is a single vote which can be transferred between candidates to ensure the vote contributes to the election of at least one candidate and is not wasted.
If a popular candidate does not need all the votes they receive, a proportion is transferred to the voter’s next preference. On the other hand, if a candidate is not popular and receives few votes, those votes are transferred to a voter’s next preference.
For more information about STV, go to www.stv.govt.nz
To exercise an STV vote, start by writing the number 1 in the box next to the candidate you most want to be elected. Write the number 2 next to your second most preferred candidate and so on 3, 4, 5 etc.
You can write as many preferences or as few as you like up to however many candidates are standing for that election.
You must write the number 1 for your vote to be counted. Do not write the same number more than once, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, and do not miss a number from your preferences, e.g., 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.
This is the first past the post (FPP) voting system and used for the Taranaki Regional Council elections. The candidate that gets the most votes win.
You should mark those you want to vote for with a tick in the circle. Do not vote for more than the number of candidates shown in the instructions.
Progress results will be announced in the afternoon of election day on 11 October 2025.
Preliminary results will be announced on Sunday 12 October 2025, once all votes received at the council offices (up until 12 noon on election day) have been delivered to the electoral office in Auckland and processed.
The official results will be announced when special votes have been checked and included in the final result, expected to be Friday 17 October 2025.
Candidates
Will be advised as soon as possible after progress results are known on Saturday 11 October 2025, and preliminary results Sunday 13 October 2025. This may be by email or phone.
Voters
Progress and preliminary results will be released to the media and placed on our website as soon as practicable on the afternoon of Saturday 11 October and Sunday 12 October.
Under legislation a candidate can challenge the declaration of results through either a judicial recount or a judicial inquiry. A candidate will have to provide reasons for the challenge and a deposit of $750 with the application to the New Plymouth District Court. A candidate may wish to call the electoral office on 0800 922 822 to discuss this.
Elected members take up office the day after the official result has been declared by public notice. However, members cannot act until they have sworn the oath of office which is usually at the first meeting of the council or community board. This first meeting is usually held as soon as practicable after the final election results are known.
Ultimately the elected members final responsibility is to the local community. The Minister of Local Government and the Auditor–General do have a role in ensuring that Council follows the law.
The Remuneration Authority sets a remuneration pool. The newly elected council will decide how to apply the pool of funding. Some expenses are also reimbursed. The following table shows the expected remuneration figures.
| Position | Annual remuneration ($) as at 1 July 2025 | Following 2025 Election ($) |
| Mayor | 173,040 | 173,040 |
| Deputy Mayor | 96,142 | To be determined by Council (following the election) from a pool of 935,783. Minimum Councillor salary of 52,239. |
| Committee Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons (7) | 61,764 – 69,922 | |
| Councillors | 58,268 - 61,182 | |
| Clifton Community Board Chairperson | 14,110 | 14,110 |
| Clifton Community Board member | 7,054 | 7,054 |
| Inglewood Community Board Chairperson | 19,662 | 19,662 |
| Inglewood Community Board member | 9,831 | 9,831 |
| Kaitake Community Board Chairperson | 17,028 | 17,028 |
| Kaitake Community Board member | 8,515 | 8,515 |
| Puketapu-Bell Community Board Chairperson | 18,951 | 18,951 |
| Puketapu-Bell Community Board member | 9,476 | 9,476 |
| Waitara Community Board Chairperson | 18,951 | 18,951 |
| Waitara Community Board member | 9,476 | 9,476 |
Being an elected member is a busy job that often involves meetings, events and speaking with community members outside of normal business hours. Flexibility and the ability to prioritise and manage time effectively are essential. This includes balancing a high volume of reading, paperwork and emails with a schedule of meetings and public commitments.
Consequently, the mayor is considered a fulltime job, and councillors and community board members are generally part-time jobs.
More information on what is expected of elected members will be available at the candidate information briefing to be held at New Plymouth District Council Chambers, 84 Liardet Street, New Plymouth from 3pm – 5 pm on Saturday 5 July 2025.
Elections are being held for:
Council’s Election signs are referenced in the Local Electoral Act 2001 and Council’s District Plan – which must be complied with.
You will need to call the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
You will need to call the council on 06 759 6060.
You will need to call the council on 06 759 6060.
