Local body elections
Where can I find information about local body elections?
(Years 5-8)
Image: Voting enrolment display by Christchurch City Libraries on Flickr.
Entry last updated: 15/01/25
Introduction
Local body elections are held every 3 years on the second Saturday in October. This is when people in New Zealand get to choose people for their local council, regional council, district health board and a few other important organisations in their local area.
Local government in New Zealand
These websites have information about the history of local government, types of councils, and the roles of mayors and council members.
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about Aotearoa New Zealand. If we look down to the bottom of the page, we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.
Go to the section on Government and Nation.
The link Institutions of Government will take you to the history of Local and regional government in New Zealand.
The link on Political participation will take you to Elections and campaigns about elections, election day and voter participation.
Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.
This official website of local governments of New Zealand has all the information you need to understand local bodies and how councils work.
Go to Local Government in New Zealand.
Local government explained is about what work it does and how it gets and spends money.
Go to Councils in Aotearoa to find out about types of councils and how they're structured. It also has information about what mayors, councillors, and other staff do.
Elections and voting
These government websites cover local body elections, why these elections are held, and important information for voters and candidates standing for elections.
This official website of local governments of New Zealand has also has information about how members get elected.
Select the tab Local Government in New Zealand and go to Local Elections and voting.
This page has information about who can vote and how voting works.
Further down the page find Voter guidance with more information about how voting works.
Or look at Candidates' guidance for information about the nomination process.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on this website. This can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
This is another website from the New Zealand Electoral Commission. It has important facts on democracy in New Zealand, different types of elections, and rules for campaigning, candidates and political parties.
The tab called Democracy in NZ has a link to About elections.
Look for What are local elections?
The 'plus signs' beside headings will open up information about why local elections are held and important election information for voters.
Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more. This searching method is called “pearl growing” because you are picking up pieces of sand to make a beautiful pearl!
Books
Check with your local public library or school library to see what they have on local body elections.
Here are some titles we recommend:
Running the country: a look inside New Zealand's government by Maria Gill.
People power : civics, government and citizenship by Ruth Naumann.
A DecisionMaker 2004 guide to local government in New Zealand = He aratohu mō te Kawanatanga-ā-rohe by Anthony Haas.
Does my vote count? A book about citizenship by Sandy Donovan.
SCIS no: 1945303
