Elections — Enrol and vote

Two people sit outside in the sun looking at a laptop, with the words "Vote for here"

VOTING IS OPEN FROM 9 SEPTEMBER AND CLOSES 12NOON ON 11 OCTOBER 2025

Make sure you have your say in the issues facing the Wellington Region and your local communities by voting in the 2025 local elections.

Why your vote is important

Democracy is at its best when the voices of people are heard.

There is no level of government in Aotearoa New Zealand that impacts your day to day life as much as local government. Council makes decisions that have an impact on your and your community's every day life.

Vote to have a say on the Wellington Region's future

Voting in the local elections is important if you want to have your say on what matters to you. We deliver many services to our communities across the Wellington Region.

The people you vote for will make decisions that makes the Wellington Region a great place to live.

Get ready to vote

Local elections are held every three years. Voting opens in this local body election on 9 September and closes at 12noon on 11 October 2025.

You can vote if you are enrolled as a voter with the Electoral Commission. Check your details at vote.nz.

How to vote

Order of candidates

Candidates for election to Greater Wellington Regional Council will be listed in random order.

Voting system

Local government elections use either the First Past the Post (FPP) or Single Transferable Vote (STV) voting systems.

Greater Wellington Regional Council uses the STV voting system.

STV requires voters to rank candidates, using numbers. Put a "1" next to your first choice, "2" next to your second, and so on. You can rank as many or as few candidates as you want.

For more information on STV visit stv.govt.nz.

The other councils in the Wellington Region use the following voting systems:

Single Transferable Vote	First Past the Post
Wellington City Council	Hutt City Council
Porirua City Council	Upper Hutt City Council
Kāpiti Coast District Council	South Wairarapa District Council
	Carterton District Counncil
	Masterton District Council

Voting locations

Postal voting

Local government elections are conducted using postal voting. Voting documents can be returned to the Electoral Officer with the freepost envelope you received with your voting documents.

You can find your nearest NZ Post post box by visiting nzpost.co.nz

For the Electoral Officer to receive your voting documents on time, we recommend you post your voting documents no later than Tuesday 7 October 2025. If you need to submit your vote after this date, you can drop your vote in at a number of specific locations, outlined below.

Specific voting locations

You can also return your voting documents to specific locations in the Wellington Region. Look out for the branded orange bins.

A list of voting places will be available on the city and district councils' websites.

Sector resources

Enrol

Enrolling to vote means you can have a say on the people who will make decisions on what happens in your region over the next…

Vote

This is your chance to say who you want to represent you when making decisions for our region over the next three years.

Rēhita mai ki te pōti Enrol and vote

VOTING IS OPEN FROM 9 SEPTEMBER AND CLOSES 12NOON ON 11 OCTOBER 2025

Why your vote is important

Vote to have a say on the Wellington Region's future

Get ready to vote

How to vote

Voting locations

Sector resources

Enrol

Vote