FAQs

To be eligible to stand for election you must:

• Be a New Zealand citizen,
• Be enrolled on the parliamentary electoral roll (anywhere in New Zealand), and
• Have lived at your current address for at least one month. You do not need to live in the area in which you wish to stand.

If you are unsure of your eligibility, you can check the Electoral Commission website

You do not need any formal qualifications. Elected members come from all walks of life and are driven by caring for their community.

Any eligible person can stand in either Māori or general wards.

Candidates do not need to be of Māori descent or on the Māori electoral roll to stand in a Māori ward.

They do need to be:

• New Zealand citizens,
• Enrolled on the New Zealand parliamentary roll, and
• Nominated by two people enrolled in the ward they are standing in.

More information can be found on our website, under Māori Ward.

Nominations open on Friday 4 July and close at noon on Friday 1 August 2025. You can go on the Nelson City Council website, email elections@ncc.govt.nz or call into Civic House and pick one up from Customer Services. Note: these will be available from 1 July 2025 onwards.

Two nominators – must be on the roll in the ward you are standing for.

$200 deposit – that maybe refunded depending on the number of votes you receive.

Over 18 and on any electoral roll (not necessarily where you are standing)

You need to be a NZ Citizen or a Permanent resident – and show proof of this.

You can also provide a Candidate Profile statement up to 150 words (and 150 words Te Reo Māori) and a recent head shot photo to be published in the candidate booklet that is sent with the voting papers.

These Councillors are elected by the whole of Nelson, as opposed to a ward Councillor who is elected based on where you live in Nelson. The Mayor is also elected at large (by the whole of Nelson).

Yes, you can, however you can not stand for more than one councillor position i.e you must choose to stand for either a ward councillor or at large councillor position. However, if elected to more than one position, you will take up the highest ranked position.

Most councils keep council meetings and business set to a couple of days a week, for example for this triennium, Wednesdays and Thursdays have been council business days. The time commitment is decided by the incoming Mayor and councillors. However, outside of this, the there is a public expectation of councillors to be always available.

In Nelson, there are 12 councillors and one Mayor on the Council. They are elected for three years and make decisions for the whole of Nelson. They help to make decisions on things like policies, bylaws, Council budgets and rates. They also represent the city at functions, form partnerships with community groups and government agencies, and advocate for issues important to Nelsonians. To learn more about what councils do, visit our website or the LGNZ website for more information.

Pay and allowances are determined by the Government’s Remuneration Authority. The pay rates vary according to population size and other factors. Nelson City Councillors are currently paid approximately $51k (minimum allowable allowance is for a councillor is $41k) and the Mayor is approximately paid $155k. This may change for the new triennium.

You’ll find more detail on candidate expectations and conduct in the Pre-Election Guidance on our website, under the Information for Candidates section.

Running for Council means stepping into a public-facing role. Most engagement with the community is respectful, but at times you may encounter criticism or challenging behaviour. While scrutiny is part of public service, abuse, threats, or violence are never acceptable. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s a good idea to have a few coping strategies ready — like walking away or seeking support. If you ever feel unsafe, please don’t hesitate to contact NZ Police.

To check which ward your address belongs to, go to the interactive map on our website (search for Elections) and enter your enrolled address Nelson City Ward Boundaries Map - Nelson City Council.

Voting opens Tuesday 9 September and closes at noon on Saturday 11 October 2025. Voting in Nelson follows the Single Transferable Vote system. STV is a preferential system of voting where people can rank as few or as many candidates as they like. It is a single vote which can be transferred between candidates to ensure the vote contributes to the election of at least one candidate and is not wasted.

If a popular candidate does not need all the votes he or she receives, a proportion is transferred to the voter’s next preference. On the other hand, if a candidate is not popular and receives few votes, those votes are transferred to a voter’s next preference. For more information including videos on how STV works, visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@NelsonCouncil.

Election advertising, in any form of media, must clearly identify either you or your agent. The publication of any advertisements (in any newspaper, periodical, notice, poster, pamphlet, handbill, billboard or card, or broadcast over radio or television) for candidates requires the written authorisation of you or your agent. E.g. “Authorised by Joe Citizen, 20 Main Street, Tinseltown”.

Note: A physical address is no longer required. You can now use an email or website as your contact details, but they must allow people to reasonably get in touch with you about the advertisement.

There are limits to how much you can spend on your campaign. These are set based on the population within the area you are standing in, and you can check what’s relevant for you in the candidate’s handbook.