Elections

Electoral expenses and donations

Under Section 112A of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA), all candidates in elections held under the LEA must file a Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses.

Section 112F of the LEA requires that the Returns must be available for inspection by the public.

Why voting matters

You may not realise just how many ways your live is impacted by council activities every day. The roads you drive on, disposing of your rubbish and recycling, parks where you play sports, the water you get from your tap, as well as cemeteries, street lights, freedom camping, public toilets, libraries, community events and activities, footpaths, dogs and animal control, buildings, wharves and boat ramps, and so much more.

That's why it's so important to have your say in who represents your community at the council table.

Who makes up the Ōpōtiki District Council?

Ōpōtiki District Council consists of one Mayor, seven councillors, and the Coast Community Board with four members. The councillors are elected across four wards – two general wards and two Māori wards.

Enrolling and voting

You can enrol as a resident if you:

• are 18 years or older,
• are a New Zealand Citizen or permanent resident,
• 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.

Visit vote.nz, email enrol@vote.nz, call 0800 36 76 56, or freetext your name and address to 3676 to enrol to vote or to update your enrolment details.

Do you pay rates on a property in Ōpōtiki district but live in another area?

You may qualify to vote in both areas.

Read more about becoming a Ratepayer Elector on the Vote.nz website
And if you think you may be eligible to enrol or to nominate someone as a ratepayer elector you can complete the Enrolment Form for Ratepayer Electors PDF.

Electoral roll options

If you’re Māori and 18 or over, you can choose which electoral roll you want to be on: the Māori roll or the general roll.

The roll you choose decides which electorate you vote in. It also affects which candidates you can choose from to represent you and your rohe in parliamentary elections and local elections.

You can change your roll type at any time, except:

• In the three months before a general election
• In the three months before local elections
• Before a parliamentary by-election, if the change would move you into the electorate where the by-election is being held.