The local elections to vote for a mayor and councillors will be held Saturday 11 October 2025. Local elections are held every 3 years by postal vote.
Make sure you're enrolled to vote - Check or update your details or to enrol
You can enrol as a resident if you:
- are 18 years or older,
- are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident,
- have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in your life.
If you’re enrolled to vote for the parliamentary elections, then you’re automatically enrolled for council elections too.
To check if you're enrolled or to update your details
If you own property in our district Tairawhiti but live elsewhere, you may be able to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in both areas.
Ratepayer electors may also be eligible to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer in a council district if both of these apply:
- You're on the district valuation roll and pay rates in the council district
- the address where you're registered as a parliamentary elector is outside that council district.
Your eligibility to enrol or be nominated as a ratepayer elector may also depend on your individual circumstances, determined by the Local Electoral Act 2001.
Enrol now - the ratepayer electoral roll closes 1 August
For more information including FAQs visit votelocal.co.nz
Fill in this form for Enrolment as a Ratepayer Elector
| Friday 4 July 2025 | Candidate nominations open, roll opens for public inspection |
|---|---|
| 1 August | Ratepayer electoral roll closes |
| 1 August | Candidate nominations close at 12noon |
| 8 August | Candidates announced |
| 9 - 22 September | Voting papers sent to enrolled voters |
| 9 September | Voting opens |
| Saturday 11 October | Voting closes 12noon |
| Saturday 11 October | Progress and preliminary results published |
| 13 - 17 October | Official count - final results announced |
| Friday 17 October | Declaration of results - public notice |
| Mid/late December 2025 | Return of electoral donations and expenses form |
Questions and answers about the elections
Election day is Saturday 11 October with voting closing at noon. The voting period starts on Tuesday 9 September.
The electoral officer has full responsibility for running the election.
The electoral officer is Dale Ofsoske
Independent Election Services Ltd
Electoral Office: 167 Victoria Street West,
Auckland Central (entrance off Dock Street)
Phone: 0800 922 822, email: dale.ofsoske@electionservices.co.nz
The deputy electoral officer is Teremoana Kingi
Gisborne District Council
15 Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne
Phone: 06 867 2049 or 0800 653 800, email: teremoana.kingi@gdc.govt.nz
The STV (single transferable voting) electoral system will be used for the Gisborne District Council elections.
The FPP (first past the post) electoral system will be used for the Māori ward poll question.
Electors will be able to vote for the mayor and ward councillors.
The current structure is:
Ward councillors
- Tairāwhiti General 8
- Tairāwhiti Māori 5
In addition electors will be able to vote on a poll - whether to retain or disestablish the Māori ward for the Gisborne District Council.
The outcome of this binding poll will apply to the 2028 and 2031 triennial elections.
Māori ward councillors are elected by those enrolled to vote on the Māori electoral roll.
Similarly, general ward councillors are elected by those enrolled to vote on the general electoral roll.
Mayor:
→ presides at council meetings
→ attends and participates at meetings of committees and working parties
→ reads agenda and other materials before meetings
→ leads the council and coordinates council political activity
→ speaks on behalf of the council
→ represents the council on related organisations, where appointed
→ attends and participates at conferences and seminars
→ attends to complaints and enquiries from members of the public
→ presides at civic ceremonies
→ hosts visiting groups, including overseas delegations
→ attends and speaks at local functions, sometimes opening them
→ declares a state of civil defence emergency in the district if the need arises.
Mayor and councillors:
→ participate in strategic and long-term planning for the whole district
→ develop policy across a wide range of activities and services
→ represent the district at functions as required
→ review and develop bylaws for the district
→ advocate on a wide range of issues
→ coordinate and form partnerships with other spheres of government and other agencies
→ participate in the appointment and performance review of the chief executive
→ act on all these matters within a legislative and regulatory framework
→ set a budget and rates
→ monitor the performance of the council organisation.