Local body elections are held every three years. The next election will take place in 2028.
In Tasman, we use a First Past the Post voting system.
In First Past the Post, you put a tick next to each name you want elected in your Ward or Community Board – if you are picking three Councillors, you put (up to) three ticks. The candidates with the most votes win.
How many votes do I get? In Tasman, you get to vote for the number of Councillors in your Ward, and the Mayor, plus if you live in Golden Bay or Motueka, you can also vote for your local Community Board.
What if I’m on the Māori roll? Then you vote for the Te Tai o Aorere Māori Ward candidate. It’s not an extra vote; it replaces the ward where you live. However, due to there only being one candidate standing in this Ward, the position has already been filled, with Paul Morgan elected unopposed in the Māori Ward seat. This means you won't see an option to vote for this candidate in this election.
As part of these elections, we are also holding a binding referendum on the future of the Te Tai o Aorere Māori Ward. Voters are being asked whether we should keep or remove our Māori Ward. Everyone, both on the Māori roll and general roll, is being asked to vote on this.
Voting papers must be returned by midday on Saturday 11 October, which means papers need to be posted by Tuesday 7 October, otherwise you can drop them into the bins at our Libraries, Service Centres and Māpua Four Square supermarket.
