Local Body Elections 2025
Local elections are held every 3 years by postal vote. In South Wairarapa. residents and other ratepayers have the chance to vote for a Mayor and Council, community boards, and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The next local election will be held on 11 October 2025.
Key dates
Friday 4 July 2025: candidate nominations open, roll opens for public inspection
Thursday 10 July 2025 (midnight): Final deadline for changing your roll type
Friday 1 August 2025: candidate nominations close at 12 noon, roll closes
Tuesday 9 September 2025: voting documents posted out, voting opens
Saturday 11 October 2025: voting closes at 12 noon
Saturday 11 October 2025: preliminary results available
Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 October 2025: declaration of final results
Why should you vote?
This is your chance to say who you want to represent you when making decisions for our district over the next three years. The people elected to Council will make many decisions on your behalf. They will set South Wairarapa District Council’s rates and decide how the community’s money should be spent to achieve a sustainable district.
This year you will also be asked to vote for Māori Wards. Your vote to keep or remove the Māori Ward for South Wairarapa will apply for the 2028 and 2031 local elections.
Enrolling to vote in Elections
If you want to vote or take part in elections you need to be enrolled to vote. Make sure you’re enrolled, your enrolment details are up to date and you are ready to vote – so you can have your say on the issues that affect you and your family.
Who can enrol to Vote?
You are eligible to enrol and vote if:
- you are 18 years or older AND
- you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident AND
- you have lived in New Zealand for one year or more continuously at some point.
For the purposes of registering as an elector, a permanent resident is someone who is entitled to live indefinitely in New Zealand.
- If you hold a resident visa or a permanent resident visa and have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more you are eligible to enrol and vote.
- If you are a Cook Island Māori, Australian, Niuean or Tokelauan you can enrol once you have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months – you do not have to hold a resident visa to enrol and vote.
- If you have to leave New Zealand by a set date you are not a permanent resident for electoral purposes and you are NOT eligible to enrol and vote. This includes people who have student, work or visitor permits.
If you’re enrolled to vote for the parliamentary elections, then you’re automatically enrolled for Council elections too.
If you are an enrolled voter, you’ll get a voting information pack in the mail.
Check or update your postal address on the Electoral Commission website to make sure you receive your voting papers.
Visit vote.nz, email enrol@vote.nz, call 0800 36 76 56, or freetext your name and address to 3676 to get a form sent to you in the mail.
General roll or Māori roll?
Māori rohe pōti
Māori ward
South Wairarapa District Council resolved to introduce a Māori ward for the 2025 elections.
Only those electors on the Māori electoral roll will be able to vote for candidates standing for a Māori ward. Similarly, only those on the general electoral roll can vote for candidates standing for general wards.
All can vote for the Mayor.
Choosing your electoral roll
If you are of Māori descent and enrolling for the first time, you have an important choice to make. You need to decide which electoral roll you want to be on: the general roll or the Māori roll.
If you would like to change your roll type in time for the local elections, you need to do so by midnight, Thursday 10 July. You can’t change rolls in the three months before the local elections.
You can change your roll by completing and returning the form in your enrolment update pack. You can also change your roll online, or by completing and returning a printed enrolment form.
If you change your roll after Thursday 10 July, the change will not be processed until after the local elections.
How to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer
If you own property in South Wairarapa but live elsewhere you may be able to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in both areas. You can check your eligibility and enrol by visiting the ElectioNZ ratepayer enrolment portal or enrol using the form below:
Enrolment form for ratepayer electors
Need help?
Phone: 06 306 9611
Email: governance@swdc.govt.nz
