Elections - Stand

To stand for office as an elected representative you must be:

• over 18 years of age, and
• registered on the electoral roll as a parliamentary elector, and
• a New Zealand citizen

You will need to be nominated by two people, who are required to sign your nomination form. These people must be on the electoral roll in the ward or constituency in which you wish to stand as a candidate.

Candidate Information Booklet

More information on standing for office is available in the Candidates Handbook.

Candidates Handbook - 2007 Local Elections (221Kb PDF)

Nominations

Nominations for all positions close with the Electoral Officer at 12 noon on nomination day, which is 50 days before polling day. Polling day is the second Saturday in October every three years.

Nominators for city or regional councils, or for community board candidates, can be residential or ratepayer electors. Nominators of district health board candidates must be residential electors of the district health board in which the candidate wishes to stand for election.

Candidates cannot nominate themselves for office. They can stand independently or under a party grouping or affiliation - similar to the process political parties use in parliamentary elections.

Restrictions on Standing as a Candidate

The following restrictions apply for candidates who wish to stand in city and regional council and community board elections:

• You cannot stand for election to both the Wellington City Council (as Mayor, Councillor or Community Board member) and the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
• You cannot stand for election to more than one ward or constituency of the same authority or for more than one subdivision of a community board.

More Information

Electoral Officer
Wellington City Council

Related Links

• Election Hoardings Guidelines
• Local Electoral Act 2001 - The Knowledge Basket website
• News Release - 17.07.07

Department Details:
Democratic Services