15 July 2022
Have you thought of standing for Mayor, Council or one of our three Community Boards? Local body elections are being held this October.
The lead-up to the elections begins with nominations for candidates, which open today and close on August 12. Diversity is hugely important to the political process and the Council would like to encourage anyone who feels passionately about representing their community to consider standing. Nominations are also being taken for the Greytown District Trust Lands Trust.
Elected members come from all walks of life. The role of the Mayor is a full-time job, and being a Councillor takes about 20 hours a week. For more information about the responsibilities of elected members and the rules around campaigning, please see our Elections page, where you will find a candidates handbook. You will also find nomination forms, slides and a video from a candidate briefing, key dates and other material.
Please note, the South Wairarapa elections use a first past the post system. There are positions for:
* Three Featherston ward Councillors
* Three Greytown ward Councillors
* Three Martinborough ward Councillors
* Four members each on the Featherston, Greytown and Martinborough Community Boards
* Three members for the Greytown District Trust Lands Trust
* One Mayor
Voters are also being urged to check whether they are on the roll. If you were on a roll for the General Elections and you live in the area, you should be eligible. If you have not received a pack from the Electoral Commission by now, it means you are not on the roll or your details are out of date. The Electoral Commission website is the place to check this and alter your details.
If you are not a resident but own property in the region, you too are eligible for a vote if you join the non-resident ratepayer roll. You can check on the Election NZ website to see if you are on this roll already.
Rolls close on 12 August. If you enrol or update your address after that date, you won’t get your voting papers sent to you in the mail and will have to get a special vote from the Council’s electoral officer or ring 0800 36 76 56.
The last day to enrol is Friday 7 October. Postal voting begins 16 September and closes promptly at midday 8 October. Should you miss posting your voting papers by 4 October then drop them in to the ballot boxes at your local library or the Council office in Martinborough.
