Māori Constituency

What is a Māori Constituency?

A constituency is a grouping of electors in a specified area of a regional council who are eligible to elect a representative to Council.

A Māori constituency provides for dedicated Māori representation on Council for the 2025 Greater Wellington elections. There will be one Māori representative elected to the Council.

Background

In October 2023, Council unanimously affirmed their resolution to establish a Māori constituency with support from the regional council's mana whenua partners. This decision was confirmed in August 2024.

The constituency is called Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui Māori Constituency, using the te reo Māori description for the Wellington Region.

Voting in the Māori Constituency election

To vote in this election, you must be on the parliamentary Māori Electoral Roll.

Already on the General Roll? You’ll need to switch to the Māori Roll by midnight, 10 July 2025.

Visit Vote.NZ to enrol or update your enrolment, or to change rolls.

Who can stand for election?

You can be a candidate if you:

• Are a New Zealand citizen
• Are enrolled as a parliamentary elector anywhere in New Zealand
• Are nominated by two people on the Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui Māori Constituency roll

You don’t need to be of Māori descent to stand.

You can’t run in this constituency if you are also standing in the 2025 elections for:

• Any general constituency of Greater Wellington, or
• Any city or district council in the Wellington Region.

For more information visit About Māori wards and constituencies - Vote 25 | Pōti 25.

This election you will also be asked about the continuation of the Māori Constituency; find out more about the poll on the Māori Constituency.