Frequently Asked Questions

Nominations open on 4 July 2025.  Nomination forms will be available online and at our service centres from that date.

Nominations close at 12 noon on Friday 1 August 2025.  Nominations cannot be accepted after that time.  Do not leave lodgement of your nomination form to the last day .... if there is a problem with the information on your nomination form and it cannot be corrected before the deadline, then the nomination will not be able to be accepted.

Yes.  You will need two people to nominate you as a candidate.  These two people MUST be listed on the electoral roll at the address they provide, and they MUST reside within the Ward / Board area that you are seeking nomination for.  For example, if you are seeking nomination for the Tamaki-nui-a-rua Maori Ward, your nominees must both be on the Maori electoral roll for the Tararua District.  Another example, if you are seeking nomination for the Southern Ward, your two nominees must be on the electoral roll at an address within that Ward.

The Mayor is elected by the district as a whole and, as one of the elected members, shares the same responsibilities as other members of the Council. The Mayor also has the following roles:

• presiding at Council meetings including ensuring the orderly conduct of business during meetings (as determined by Standing Orders)
• advocating on behalf of the community involving the promotion of the community and representation of its interests. Such advocacy will be most effective where it is carried out with the knowledge and support of the Council.
• Spokesperson for the Council
• Ceremonial head of the Council
• providing leadership and feedback to other elected members on teamwork and chairing of committees
• fulfilling the responsibilities of a Justice of the Peace (while the Mayor holds office)
• providing leadership to the other members of the Council and the people of the area
• leading the development of the Council's plans, policies, and budgets for consideration by the members of the Council.

Collective duties of the Council:

• representing the interests of the Council
• formulating the Council's strategic direction and relative priorities through the Long Term Plan, which determines the services and activities to be undertaken by Council over a ten-year period
• determining the expenditure and funding requirements of Council activities through the Long Term Plan and Annual Planning processes
• Overseeing, development and /or approving all Council policies, administrative, legal, financial and strategic including formal district planning matters within the Council's geographical area of responsibility
• Monitoring the ongoing performance of Council against its stated objectives and policies (including formal sign-off of the Annual Report)
• Ensuring prudent use of Council resources
• Law-making (bylaws)
• Overseeing Council compliance with any relevant Acts of Parliament
• Employing, setting performance requirements for, and monitoring the ongoing performance of the Chief Executive (under the Local Government Act 2002)

Representation and advocacy:

• Bringing the views of the community into Council decision-making processes
• being an advocate for community groups and individuals at Council meetings
• balancing the need to advocate for specific interests against the needs of the wider community
• listening to the concerns of local residents and ratepayers on issues pertaining to the council
• maintaining contact with community representatives and other local stakeholders
• participating in any relevant consultative processes with the local community and / or other organisations

A Community Board member:

• Represents and acts as an advocate for the interests of their community;
• Considers and reports on all matters referred to them by the Council, or any matters of concern to the Board;
• Communicates with community organisations and special-interest groups in the community;
• brings the views of their community to the attention of the Council;
• listens to the concerns of their community on issues pertaining to the Board;
• maintains an overview of services provided by the Council in the community, and comments on any services delivered by the Council;
• maintains contact with various community representatives and other local stakeholders;
• champions causes which best relate to the interests of their community and campaign for the improvement of the quality of life in their community.
• participating in any relevant consultative processes with the local community;
• develops and maintains a working knowledge of council services, management processes, powers, duties and constraints.

Electoral Officer (EO) 

Warwick Lampp, electionz.com Ltd
PO Box 3138, Christchurch
Phone 0800 666 048
Email tararuadc@electionz.com

Deputy Electoral Officer (DEO)

Allie Dunn, Tararua District Council
PO Box 115, Dannevirke
Phone 06 374 4080
Email elections@tararuadc.govt.nz

• Fill in the online enrolment form on the www.vote.nz website
• Visit a Post Shop and pick up a form
• Phone free on 0800 36 76 56
• Text your name and address to free text 3676 and the form will be posted out to you.

You can enrol to vote if:

• You are 18 years old or older and
• You are a NZ citizen, or permanent resident, or resident visa holder and
• You have lived in New Zealand for one year or longer continuously at some point.
• If you’re still 17 but are turning 18 by 11 October (last date for voting) you can enrol now.

Voting papers should be received by 22 September.

If you do not receive your voting papers, please contact the Deputy Electoral Officer: Email elections@tararuadc.govt.nz, call 06 374 4080, or visit any of our Customer Service Centres in Dannevirke, Eketāhuna, Pahiatua or Woodville.

Voting documents are being delivered progressively between Tuesday 9 September and Monday 22 September 2025. Please wait until after the 22 September mail delivery and call back if voting documents have not arrived by then.

If enquiry is after 22 September 2025, please talk to the Deputy Electoral Officer at Council for details on special voting.

Voting closes at 12 noon sharp on Saturday 11 October 2025.  If sending your vote in via post, please ensure you post it no later than Friday 3 October so it is received in time to be counted.  If dropping your vote back in to a Council Service centre, please ensure you have done this before 12 noon sharp on Saturday 11 October 2025. The cut off time and date must be strictly enforced to comply with legal requirements.

Please post your vote back using the reply-paid envelope supplied with your voting papers. You can find NZ Post locations  online at www.nzpost.co.nz

Please do this BEFORE 7 October 2025 to ensure your voting documents are received by the Electoral Officer before voting closes.

There are also ballot boxes at each of our Customer Service centres that you can drop your voting paper into, and at the Pongaroa General Store and Cafe in Pongaroa and at the Scandi Superette in Norsewood.

Those using rural delivery services can usually place their outgoing mail in their letterbox and put the flag up for their contractor to collect.  Check with your rural delivery contractor. If using this method, you will need to ensure that rural mail timelines enable your documents to be collected prior to 7 October and onforwarded.

Alternatively, bring your vote with you when you travel to Dannevirke, Eketāhuna, Pahiatua and Woodville and drop it at one of our Customer Service Centres. We also have voting ballot boxes at the Pongaroa General Store and Cafe in Pongaroa, and the Scandi Superette in Norsewood.

Yes, but you will need to enrol as a ratepayer elector for the Tararua district.

If you enrol as a ratepayer elector prior to 1 August 2025, you will receive voting documents in the mail.  If you enrol after 1 August, which is when the electoral rolls close for this election, you will need to contact the Deputy Electoral Officer, or visit one of the Council Service Centres to apply for special voting documents as a ratepayer elector.

Tararua District Council uses the “First Past the Post’ (FPP) electoral system

Under an FPP voting system, the candidate or candidates that get the most votes wins. You should mark those you want to vote for with a tick in the circle next to the candidate's name. Do not vote for more than the number of candidates shown in the instructions.

An example:

Candidate ‘A’ gets 3,500 votes that equates to 35% of the vote.

Candidate ‘B’ gets 4,500 votes that equates to 45% of the vote.

Candidate ‘C’ gets 2,000 votes that equates to 20% of the vote.

Candidate ‘B’ wins the vote with 45% of the vote.

Special voting is available for:

• Electors that have spoilt their voting papers;
• Electors who were not on the electoral roll prior to 1 August 2025;
• Electors who did not receive their voting papers;
• Electors on the confidential roll;
• Ratepayer electors who did not register prior to 1 August 2025.

Special voting is available at Council Service Centres - for more information phone us on 06 374 4080 or 06 376 0110, or email us on elections@tararuadc.govt.nz

Yes, you can authorise someone to assist you, but only if you are:

(a) physically impaired, or;

(b) unable to read or write, or;

(c) not sufficiently familiar with the language used in the voting document to vote without assistance.

Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, you cannot interfere or influence any person as to how they can vote.

Usually community organisations arrange ‘meet the candidate’ sessions.

Contact details for all candidates will be available from Council’s website as they are confirmed. We encourage residents to think about holding a session and have provided some guidelines which you may find useful.

How to hold a candidate meeting

Are you, your whānau and community keen to hear from Tararua’s election candidates? Here are some tips on how to make it happen.

We encourage community groups to consider holding events where you can connect with candidates. Make it an opportunity to share what matters to you.

Planning your candidate meeting

Decide on what you want to achieve and decide on the details – timings, venue, format. Check our listing of "Meet the Candidate" events published on our website to ensure your preferred date is not already taken.

Need help finding a venue? Contact us at elections@tararuadc.govt.nz

Plan to make your event safe and accessible for all.

Be creative with your format – it doesn’t have to be a traditional debate.

Hosting ideas:

• an informal meeting (afternoon tea style perhaps)
• small groups
• speed dating
• audience Q&A
• speeches and kai

Invite all candidates for your area – it's important to have a good spread of candidate voices.

In the invitation outline:

• how long the event will run for
• the format you plan to use
• information about your group

Get the word out:

• Contact your own networks
• Advertise as widely as you can
• Let us know – we will publish the event on the Tararua District Council website and Facebook page

On the day

• Make sure the location is well signposted
• Scan the venue for safety and accessibility
• Be welcoming. Allocate someone to greet guests and candidates
• Allocate someone to facilitate and introduce the session format and candidates
• Keep to the format
• Allow each candidate a fair chance to speak

After your meeting

• Let people know how it went!
• Thank the candidates who attended

Any questions, contact us on: elections@tararuadc.govt.nz.

If you can amend it so that your voting intention is clear, then do so and initial the changes. If necessary, we can issue you with a special voting document, but this will require you to complete a declaration.

Contact us at elections@tararuadc.govt.nz ‘ or ask for the deputy electoral officer on 06 374 4080

You can still cast a special vote.

Contact us at elections@tararuadc.govt.nz ‘ or ask for the deputy electoral officer on 06 374 4080

Voting papers are progressively delivered by NZ Post from 9 September until 22 September 2025.

They are sent to everyone that is enrolled on the Electoral Roll by 1 August 2025.

You can check your details on the electoral roll by calling 0800 36 76 56 or visiting www.vote.nz. Voters on the unpublished roll are sent a letter from the Electoral Commission advising when voting opens and that they can visit or contact Tararua District Council to cast a special vote.