Your voice. Your power. Your vote

Your voice matters in this year’s local elections. The choices you make will shape the future of our district – from the roads you drive on, to the parks your tamariki play in, to the services that support your whaanau.  

By voting, you choose the people who will represent your voice and make decisions that touch your everyday life. 

Voting opens on Tuesday 9 September 2025 and closes at midday on Saturday 11 October 2025.  

Your voting packs will arrive in your mailbox between 9 September and 22 September. Once received, you can fill them out at home and post them back straight away using the pre-paid envelope. Alternatively, you can drop your completed voting packs off at one of our Council offices or libraries.  

You’ll find the full list of voting locations on our website. 

If you’re planning to be out of the country during the voting period, be sure to contact Election Services on 0800 922 822 for further guidance on how to ensure you’re still able to cast your vote.

This year you’ll be able to vote for the Maaori ward referendum, which will decide whether Maaori wards continue beyond the 2028 local elections.  

The choice is simple: ‘I vote to keep Maaori wards’, or ‘I vote to remove Maaori wards’. Every registered voter can take part. 

Maaori wards, like the Maaori seats in Parliament, give tangata whenua a dedicated voice at the Council table. This is an important decision for our district, and your vote will help shape the future of representation in Waikato. 

There are also candidates running for mayor, local councillors and in some areas, community board members, with most seats across Council and community boards being contested.

Community groups across the district are hosting ‘Meet the Candidate’ events which are a chance for you to hear directly from those standing and ask the questions that matter to you.

You can read more about each of our candidates and the ‘Meet the Candidate’ events on our website. 

Your vote is your voice and your power. It’s how you influence the decisions that affect your whaanau, your neighbourhood, and the future of our communities. So, when your papers arrive, make sure to fill them in and return them.  

By making our voices heard together, we can shape the future of the Waikato district. 

Ngaa mihi, 

Craig Hobbs, Chief Executive