Local elections 2022

Local elections will take place around Aotearoa New Zealand on Saturday, 8 October 2022. Here you can find everything you need to know about voting in Kāpiti as well as heaps of information on what to do if you would like to stand for Mayor, a councillor role or to be a community board member.

Local government is the voice of the community, representing and balancing a range of interests.

Enrolling to vote

You have until 12 August to enrol to vote. Enrol online, call 0800 36 76 56 or pick up a form from one of our service centres, district libraries or from some NZ Post outlets.

Find out more about enroling to vote.

Your vote counts

Local government is the voice of the community, representing and balancing a range of interests.

Council meets regularly to make many decisions that impact the day-to-day lives of people in the Kāpiti Coast District. The Council governs a wide range of local services including roads, water systems, rubbish collection, libraries, parks, community centers, dog registration, community and economic development and district planning.

We partner with mana whenua through Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti, one of the longest lasting partnerships between tangata whenua and local government in New Zealand.

It’s a rapidly changing and exciting time to be a part of local government.  Councils can only succeed if people who represent and care for communities are prepared to serve – will you stand?

Who's being elected

The Council is represented by the Mayor and 10 Councilors. These representatives discuss matters of social, environmental, economic and cultural significance to tangata whenua.

Timeline:

Friday 15 July 2022

Nominations open
Noon, Friday 12 August

Nominations close
from Friday 16 September

Delivery of voting documents
Noon, Saturday 8 October

Close of voting
Thursday 13 October

Official results announced

Community Boards work with Councillors to represent the interests of the people in each of our towns and villages. Kāpiti, is currently served by 16 community board members and following a representation review in 2021, a fifth community board representing Raumati will be added to existing boards for Ōtaki, Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Paekākāriki for the first time this election. On 8 October, our community will vote for:

Mayor (elected ‘at large’ from across the district)
Councillors (10)
- elected 'at large' from across the district (3)
- Ōtaki Ward (1)
- Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward (1)
- Paraparaumu Ward (3)
- Waikanae Ward (2)
Community Board Members (20)
- Ōtaki Community Board (4)
- Paekākāriki Community Board (4)
- Paraparaumu Community Board (4)
- Raumati Community Board (4)
- Waikanae Community Board (4)
Greater Wellington Regional Council Members
- One member from the Kāpiti Coast district

There will be no district health board elections in 2022.

Will you stand?

Local government only succeeds if people who stand for and care for their communities are prepared to serve. As an elected a member of Council or a community board, you’ll be making a positive difference for people and communities for today and into the future.

As an elected member, you'll need to:

be involved in community engagement with your council
commit to ensuring all voices are heard
work to build and protect a culture of inclusion and belonging.

You'll also need to demonstrate your commitment to honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi.

Good governance balances short- and long-term responsibilities. Your role will be to focus on the overall performance of Council, such as how it meets community expectations and aspirations, fulfils statutory obligations and looks after assets.

For all you need to know about standing as a candidate, see our Candidate Information Handbook 2022[PDF 2.75 MB].

Making a nomination

Candidate nominations are open from 15 July 2022 until 12 August 2022 at 12 noon.

The nomination process involves:

Completing an official nomination form and sending to the council’s electoral officer.
Nominations from two people. Candidates cannot nominate themselves, and people who nominate candidates must be over 18 years old and enrolled to vote in the area the candidate is planning to stand.
Candidates must consent to their nomination going forward.
A $200 deposit must be paid, which may be refunded depending on election results.
Candidates must be New Zealand citizens.

Voting is important

Every day, your local Council works to deliver the infrastructure and services that keeps our community ticking. From the roads you take to get to where you’re going, the water you drink from the tap and flush away, that’s your council working for you.

Keeping people safe is also part of the gig. We do this through upholding building, environment and health standards, animal management, district emergency management and civil defence preparedness.

And it doesn’t stop there. A big part of our job is also planning for the future – climate change, growth, technology. Things are constantly changing, and we need to prepare to protect the things we love most about Kāpiti.

Our work is governed by the elected members that our community votes in.

Your vote will shape our future.

Who can vote

Anyone over the age of 18 who has enrolled to vote can vote in the local elections.

If you’re enrolled on the electoral roll, you can vote in local elections where you live.

How to vote

The Kāpiti Coast District Council use the STV (single-transferable vote) electoral system for local elections.

The first step to casting your vote is ensuring you are enrolled.

To do this, you need to either enrol to vote or check your details by 12 August.

Enrolled voters will receive their voting papers in the mail between16-21 September 2022.

From there, you need to submit your vote papers by noon 8 October.