Local elections are held every three years across the country. This is a chance for residents and ratepayers of Kaipara District to vote for a mayor and elected members to represent them.
The next Kaipara District Council local election is being held 11 October 2025.
Key dates:
- Friday 4 July 2025: Candidate nominations open
- Friday 1 August 2025: Candidate nominations close at 12 noon
- Tuesday 9 September 2025: Voting documents posted, voting opens
- Saturday 11 October 2025: Voting closes at 12 noon
- Preliminary results will be available as soon as practicable.
- Between Friday 17 October and Saturday 18 October 2025: Declaration of final results
How do I enrol to vote?
As a resident you can enrol to vote if you are 18 years or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident or 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.
If you are of Māori descent, and you’re not currently enrolled, you can choose to enrol on the Māori roll. If you are already enrolled, you can change from the General or Māori roll until midnight 10 July 2025 ahead of the Local Elections this year.
Check you are enrolled to vote and update your details here.
Māori roll or general roll explainer
How to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer
If you own property in Kaipara District but live elsewhere you may qualify to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in both areas.
To check your eligibility and enrol, visit the Election Services ratepayer enrolment portal alternatively download the Enrolment Form for Ratepayer Electors (PDF 180kb).
Stand for council
Nominations for the Mayor and councillors open Friday 4 July 2025 and will close at 12 noon Friday 1 August 2025.
Helpful information for candidates
- Candidate Information Handbook This is a large file and will take some time to download pdf (pdf 19mb)
- Candidate Information Evening livestream recording
- Election signs – 'How to Guide' This is a large file and will take some time to download (pdf 24mb)
- Communications in the pre-election period guide (24mb)
- Vote Local: Information for candidates 2025
Ready to complete your candidate nomination?
Nominations can be made in two ways:
Online nominations:
- Submit via the Election Services online nominations portal by 12 noon Friday 1 August 2025
- Submit your nomination online
- Watch a how-to video on the Election Services online nomination portal
Paper nominations:
Candidates completing nominations via paper are to use an official nomination form for the ward you are standing for election in. Completed nomination form and supporting documents are to be brought into one of our customer service centres to be processed by 12 noon sharp Friday 1 August 2025.
Nomination forms:
Please note late and incomplete nominations will not be accepted.
To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be:
- A New Zealand citizen
- Enrolled as a Parliamentary elector in New Zealand
- Nominated by two electors whose names appear on the electoral roll within the respective area that a candidate is standing for.
Needing assistance with your nomination? Get in touch with one of our Governance Advisors by email kockwell@kaipara.govt.nz or phone 0800 727 059.
2025 Local elections resources
- 2025 Candidate Information Handbook This is a large file and will take some time to download (pdf 19mb)
- 2025 Local Elections FAQs (pdf 915kb)
- 2025 Local Elections General Fact Sheet (pdf 469kb)
- 2025 Local Elections Timetable (pdf 168kb)
- 2025 Elections Brochure (pdf 965kb)
- Māori roll or general roll explainer (pdf 102kb)
- Election Signs – How to Guide This is a large file and will take some time to download (pdf 24mb)
- 2025 Pre-Election Report (pdf 4mb)
More information
Electoral system
In 2023 Council agreed to introduce the First Past the Post (FFP) electoral system which means the candidate(s) with the most votes are elected.
Northland Regional Council also uses FPP (first past the post) electoral system.
Find out more on FPP
Kaipara district wards
| Ward | Electoral population (as of June 2024) | Councillor’s | people per councillor |
| Kaiwaka-Mangawhai | 10,050 | 3 | 3,350 |
| Otamatea | 6,180 | 2 | 3,090 |
| Wairoa | 11,000 | 3 | 3,667 |
Search an address or location to find what ward you are in.
Māori and general roll
You have the option to enrol on either the Māori roll or the general roll, if you are of Māori descent. This decision affects who you vote for in both general and local elections and helps shape the number of Māori and general electorates in Parliament.
You make your roll choice when you enrol for the first time. You can change it anytime, except in the three months before a general or local election, or just before a by election. To switch rolls ahead of this year’s local election, you must do so before midnight on 10 July 2025.
There is no Māori ward for the 2025 Kaipara District Council elections, following the decision to disestablish the ward in 2024. If you are on the Māori electoral roll you will vote for the ward you are a resident or ratepayer in — Wairoa, Otamatea, or Kaiwaka-Mangawhai.
Northland Regional Council elections
Kaipara residents on the Māori roll will still vote in the Te Raki Māori constituency for the Northland Regional Council.
Everyone in Kaipara, whether on the Māori roll or the general roll, will vote in the Māori constituency poll. This poll will decide whether to keep or to remove the Te Raki Māori constituency in the 2028 and 2031 elections. For more information visit the Northland Regional Council website.
Representation review
The 2024 Representation Review final proposal has now been adopted, setting the representation arrangements for at least the 2025 elections. Representation arrangements for at least the 2025 local elections are to be a mayor elected at-large and eight councillors elected across three wards: Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Ward with three councillors, Otamatea Ward with two councillors, and Wairoa Ward with three councillors.
Find out more on our Representation Review webpage.
Need help?
Deputy Electoral Officer
Phone: 09 439 7059
Email: elections@kaipara.govt.nz
For more information visit Vote 2025.
