Get Ready to Vote
Voting packs for the 2025 local authority elections will start arriving in letterboxes around the country from today - so keep an eye out.
South Taranaki Deputy Electoral Officer Sara Dymond says if you don't get yours straight away – don’t panic, they will be arriving any time between now and Monday 22 September. Once received, voters can choose who they would like to represent them in District and Regional Council positions.
In South Taranaki there are 48 people running for 30 vacancies (Mayor, Council and Community Boards) and three people standing for two vacancies in the South Taranaki constituency on the Regional Council. Keep an eye out for the candidate profiles included with the voting documents.
As part of the 2025 local government elections, the South Taranaki District Council is required to hold a binding referendum on the future of its Māori wards (Te Tai Tonga and Te Kūrae). The Regional Council is also required to hold a binding referendum on whether to continue with a Māori constituency. Everyone enrolled in the South Taranaki District, whether on the general roll or Māori roll, is eligible to vote in the referendum. Voters will be asked: Whether the Council should keep or remove the Māori Wards and whether Taranaki Regional Council should keep or remove their one Māori Constituency.
Miss Dymond says that completed voting papers can be returned by post at any post shop or post box but must be posted before Tuesday 4 October to make sure they are received in time to be counted. Voting documents can also be returned in person to the Council’s Administration Office in Hāwera, any of the district’s seven LibraryPlus centres as well as a selection of supermarkets and Four Squares across the District up until noon Saturday 11 October. Visit www.southtaranaki.com/votebox to see all of the ballot box locations.
Council’s Chief Executive Fiona Aitken encourages South Taranaki residents not to miss the chance to have their say.
“Local Government plays such an important part in people’s daily lives. From the water we drink, to the roads we travel on, the facilities we enjoy, to the waste we dispose of and recycle. With around $1.4 billion in assets and an annual operating budget of $103 million it’s important that voters have their say on the people managing our resources and making the big decisions about the future of our District,” she says.
You can see the full list of candidates and their profiles on our website at www.southtaranaki.com/vote2025.
