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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

 

Voting in local elections is your chance to have a say on the people who make decisions in your community — from your local parks to roads, services and more. 

You’ll get your voting pack in the mail. It includes everything you need to vote. 

Voting packs arrive via mail: 9 – 22 September 

Voting closes: 12 noon, Election Day (Saturday 11 October 2025) 

How to vote

1. Open your pack

You’ll find your voting papers, instructions and a free return envelope. 

2. Choose your candidates 

Fill in your voting papers using the instructions provided. Take your time — your vote matters. 

3. Send it back 

Post your completed vote as early as you can. You don’t need a stamp — just drop it in a NZ Post box. You can also drop your vote off at one of our council offices or libraries, or any ballot box around the country. 

 

Find your nearest post shop

Deadline to post: It’s safest to post by Tuesday 7 October to make sure it gets in on time. 

You will have until 12 noon on Saturday 11 October 2025 to vote. Votes received after the midday, Saturday 11 October deadline will not be counted towards the final numbers for the election.

Didn't get you voting pack?

If you haven’t received your voting pack by 22 September, no worries. Just contact us and we can help guide you on casting a special vote at any of our offices.

Maaori Ward Poll 2025 

During the Local Elections 2025, you’ll also be asked to vote in a binding poll on whether you support keeping or removing Maaori wards in the Waikato District. 

Waikato District Council resolved to incorporate Maaori Wards within its 2021 Representation Review, once the previous legislation to hold a binding poll was removed, and to recognise the long-standing partnership that they hold with Waikato-Tainui and other iwi. 

Maaori wards provide a way for Maaori to contribute to decision-making and have representation at council.  

The successful Maaori ward candidates will become councillors at council. Councillors have a responsibility to represent their communities. Maaori ward councillors will have a particular responsibility to represent people of Maaori descent and bring forward Maaori views and aspirations. However, they also represent the entire community in our District. 

Although the decision will be made in 2025 from the poll result, it will be three years before it is actioned. If the poll result favours abolishing Maaori wards, there will not be an electoral contest for them in 2028. Conversely, if the poll result favours keeping Maaori wards there will be an electoral contest for them at the local elections in 2028 and 2031. 

FAQs

Your vote matters more than you might think. It’s your power to choose who makes big decisions on local infrastructure such as roads and water, public services like libraries and parks, and local regulations such as solutions to housing issues and transport. Voting in local elections is your chance to shape the community where you live, work, and play. The people voted in by you play a crucial role in deciding how local services are delivered and how rates are spent. 
The local elections are conducted by postal vote, which means you will get your voting papers and poll questions sent to the address you are enrolled under. 
Voting packs are mailed in September. You’ll need to post your vote by early October, drop it off at one of our ballot box location, or drop it off at any ballot box in the country. 
If you haven’t received your voting papers by 22 September, you can do a special vote. Call us or visit your local Council office to request one. 
This poll is a central government requirement. The Government has reinstated Maaori ward/constituency poll provisions that were removed from legislation in 2022. Polls at the 2025 local elections are a compulsory step for councils that established Maaori wards or constituencies after 2020 without the poll provisions in place. 
The questions on the Maaori Ward Poll will be simple and easy to understand: ‘I vote to keep the Maaori ward / constituency’ or ‘I vote to remove the Maaori ward / constituency’.  
Yes! This is an important question for all residents and ratepayers, regardless of ethnicity or which electoral roll you are on. The outcome of the poll will decide the future of Maaori wards and constituencies for our District.  
If the poll result is to remove Maori wards / constituencies, there won’t be elections for them in 2028 and 2031. If the poll result is to keep Maaori wards / constituencies, there will be elections for Maaori wards / constituencies in 2028 and 2031.  

Last updated 10 June 2025, 01:16 pm

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