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Hokitika, New Zealand

Local elections

Find out about what it means to stand for Council

Stand for Council

Standing for Council is your opportunity to shape the future of the Westland District for your whanau and your community. Local Government in New Zealand is a rapidly changing environment and it is an exciting time to be involved.

Who can stand as a candidate? 

To be eligible to stand as a candidate you must be:

  • Enrolled as a parliamentary elector anywhere in New Zealand
  • A New Zealand citizen
  • Nominated by two electors whose names appear on the electoral roll for the constituency for which you wish to stand

General information for candidates

Persons considering nominating candidates, and potential candidates also need to know:

  • Candidates cannot nominate themselves for office
  • Candidates must consent to their nomination
  • Evidence of NZ Citizenship must be provided with your nomination
  • A deposit ($200 including GST) must be paid per issue when the nomination is lodged. Please pay using cash, eftpos or electronic banking.
  • To help voters identify candidates, a recent photo and a 150-word profile statement can be sent with the nomination form. The profile and photo will be published in a booklet sent out with the voting documents.
  • All nomination documents must be submitted together (e.g. Nomination Form, Deposit, Photo, Candidate Profile Statement). You must also provide evidence with your nomination that you are a NZ citizen.
  • Candidates may withdraw their nomination at any time before close of nominations . Notification must be in writing on the prescribed form available from the Electoral Officer.
  • A candidate cannot voluntarily withdraw their nomination after close of nominations, unless a candidate has become incapacitated after the close of nominations and before the close of voting.
  • No candidate can be employed or assist with the conduct of the election, nor be appointed as a scrutineer of any election conducted in the District.
  • Deposits will be refunded to candidates, except where they poll less than 25% of the vote of the lowest polling successful candidate for FPP elections.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to read the Candidate Information Handbook that will be available in the next election period.

This will be available here or from:

You can also find information and guides on the Local Government New Zealand website.

Find out about the Elected Members' Allowances Policy here.

The Pre-election Report outlines the key issues facing the Council and the district over the coming years and profiled the Council's current and forecast financial position to assist candidates in their campaigns.

The next report will be available in 2025.

Nomination forms are available in an election period.

Local authority staff, candidates and elected members are of interest to foreign states.  There are a number of reasons why they target New Zealand but one of them is to influence our democracy. They may want to steer policy making, have access to people in positions of power, gain knowledge of internal operations or get access to sensitive information.

Protective Security provides information on its website for local authorities and elected members.

Campaigning

Candidates standing for election to a local authority can start campaigning at any time and can continue up to and including Election Day, provided the rules set out in Local Electoral Act 2001 and the Local Electoral Regulations are complied with. For information relating to campaigning, please refer to the Candidate Information Handbook.

Westland District Council's Facebook page

The Westland District Council's Facebook page must not be used for electioneering purposes.  Any post - positive or negative - made by any individual specifically relating to their own - or someone else's – nomination, intention to run for Council or election campaign, will be removed immediately.

Campaign advertising is subject to the following rules:

  • Advertisements are defined as anything published in a newspaper, periodical, notice, poster, pamphlet, handbill, billboard or card, or broadcast over radio or television.
  • Advertisements must be authorised in writing by the candidate or the candidate's agent.
  • Advertisements must contain a statement setting out the true name and contact details of the person or persons for whom or at whose direction they are published. Contact details means: a residential or business address, an email address, a PO Box number, a phone number or a link to a page on an internet site that contains any of the details listed. 
  • Campaign expenses incurred by or on behalf of candidates during the three months before polling day (the applicable period) must be included in the candidate's electoral expenses return.

Candidate campaigns are subject to the following expenditure limits, based on population in each area:

Council Population Expenditure Limit
5000 - 9,999 $7,000

Councils and government agencies have guidelines regarding putting up election hoardings in the district.

Temporary signs for Local Government elections shall not be erected more than six weeks before the event, nor remain erected more than one week following completion of the event.  For the 2022 local authority elections, this means that signage can be erected from Friday 26 August 2022 and must be removed by midnight on Saturday 15 October 2022.