Stand

Nominations for candidates in the 2025 local elections for Gisborne District Council opens Friday 4 July and closes 12noon Friday 1 August 2025.

Thinking of standing?

What you need to know to stand, what's involved, campaigning and what you can expect as an elected member of Gisborne District Council.

Candidate information sessions

Come along to a candidate information session near you and the experts can guide you on what's involved and answer any questions you may have.

• Council Chambers, 6pm Wednesday 11 June
• Tokomaru Bay United Sports Club, 6pm Wednesday 25 June
• Manutuke Fire Station, 6pm Wednesday 2 July
• Ruatoria RSA, 6.30pm Wednesday 9 July

Handbook, FAQs and the Pre-Election Report

Everything you need to know about the elections process is in the Candidate Information Handbook including candidate eligibility, nominations, campaigning, voting, results and more.
The Pre-Election Report 2025 outlines the significant challenges and opportunities facing Council and the region.

Candidate nomination process

The steps are:

You must:

• Be a New Zealand citizen, enrolled as a parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand; and
• Be nominated by 2 electors, whose names appear on the electoral roll for our district.
• You don't need to live in the area, but you need to declare this in your candidate profile statement.

Then you need to:

• Complete the official nomination form. Available on this page and our customer service from Friday 4 July.
• Nominations from 2 people who are enrolled to vote in our district.
• Consent to your nomination going foward.
• Pay a deposit of $200 when you submit your form. This may be refunded depending on the election results.

You also need:

• a  candidate profile statement of 150-words, containing information about yourself, your policies and intentions.
• a photo - a passport size, colour photo taken in the last 12 months.

We advise candidates not to leave lodgment of your nomination to the last day. This may not leave enough time to fix any errors with the nomination if it's lodged on Friday 1 August 2025.

How many positions can I stand for?

You can stand for mayor and ward councillor, but if you're elected to more than one position, you must take the highest ranked position. You cannot stand for both wards.

For more information for candidates

What qualifications and experience do I need to stand?

You don't need any formal qualifications. Elected members come from all walks of life and generally have a desire to serve the community. All or some of the following capabilities will be useful in the elected member role:

• quality decision-making
• political acumen
• leadership
• cultural awareness
• strategic thinking
• knowledge and understanding of Gisborne District Council and local government
• communication and engagement, relationship building and collaboration.

Preparing to stand

Talk to people in your community to find out what's important to them. Also learn about the roles and responsibilities of being an elected member.

Read the handy guides for more advice and information.

When can I start campaigning?

You can start campaigning any time before the election and continue up to and including election day.

Election campaign signs can only go up after midnight Saturday 30 August.

Election sign rules

Election signs can go up 6 weeks before election day, from Saturday 30 August 2025 and must be removed by midnight Friday 10 October 2025.

Chapter 11 of the Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan has information on sign rules and requirements.

Approved sites for signs

What you can expect as an elected member