Local body election nominations open - Here's how to become a candidate

Explainer - Have you ever wanted to stand for local office?

Now is your chance, as the nomination period for this year's local body elections opens Friday.

But how do you stand, and how does the job work? Here's what you need to know.

What are local body elections for?

Local elections are held for city, district and regional council seats, as well as community boards, some local boards, licensing trusts and other organisations.

They are held every three years by postal vote.

These aren't the elections that will determine control of Parliament and the next government - those won't happen until 2026.

How many seats are there to fill?

A lot.

Susan Freeman-Greene is the chief executive of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), a membership body that advocates for and supports local government.

"This year we will have 1465 seats available across 66 councils - Tauranga City Council being the exception - which includes 66 mayoral seats and 683 community board seats," she said.

"There will also be 127 seats up for election across the 11 regional councils."

Sarah Lucas, who sits on the community board executive committee for LGNZ, said those boards "serve as a crucial stepping stone for emerging leaders. Many mayors, councillors, and even MPs began their public service on a community board".

"Community boards represent hundreds of thousands of people, often in areas that feel overlooked or underrepresented at the council table. They are on the frontline of local advocacy, community-led projects, and place-based leadership."

How do you get to be a candidate?

Nominations open Friday 4 July and you just need to complete an official nomination form and send it to your local council's electoral officer before midday on 1 August.

You've got to be nominated by two people - can't nominate yourself, sorry - and the people who nominate you must be over 18 and enrolled to vote in the area you plan to stand in.

Candidates must pay a $200 deposit, which can sometimes be refunded depending on the election results.

You need to be on the electoral roll and have lived at your current address for at least a month. You do not need to live in the area in which you wish to stand. Just in case you were wondering, you also can't run if you happen to be in prison for a term of three years or more.

Lastly, you must be a New Zealand citizen.

Elected members do receive salaries, which vary depending on the size of each council. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, who is standing for a second term, receives an annual salary of about $300,000, while councillors in rural regions can earn as little as around $20,000.

LGNZ has also put together a candidates guide filled with tips on the process.

Are enough people running for office?

"At the 2022 local elections we had 3119 people standing across 1607 seats across the country," Freeman-Greene said.

"Obviously we'd like to have more candidates standing, and it's just as much about the quality of the candidates as it is the quantity.

"We know that some rural and provincial councils in particular can struggle to attract candidates; people with the right skills for the role, who are also able to fully commit themselves to a demanding position, are sometimes in short supply."

I'm curious about standing for office, but what's it like, really?

Two local body politicians who are retiring this year shared their experiences of the job.

Rohan O'Neill-Stevens is the deputy mayor of Nelson and was first elected to the council at age 19. He is stepping down this year at the venerable age of 24.

"Walk into every conversation and every room with the intention of learning something," he advises future office-holders.

"Entering politics at a young age inherently brings a level of self-doubt, a knowledge that you don't have all the answers, and that can be turned into an incredibly strong asset if you harness it."

Meanwhile, former primary school principal Malcolm Dixon is stepping down after 12 years on the Hastings District Council. He said it is important candidates know the job isn't just going to the occasional meeting.

"There is a lot more to being a councillor than just attending meetings," he said. "You need to be able to read, absorb and analyse a huge amount of reading material."

Dixon said listening to constituents is also important.

"You have been elected to serve those who elected you, the ratepayer, to be successful you must keep in touch with them."

Freeman-Greene said standing for office "requires someone who is both willing and able to listen to a range of community views, and be able to make the tough decisions when required".

She also said that at the end of the day, you're just one vote around the table.

"So the role is as much about working together as a team, finding compromise and being able to look at different points of view, as it is about making decisions."

How do I get people to vote for me?

"Being a successful candidate involves promoting yourself, your vision, and your position on issues that matter," LGNZ's guide states. "One of the most common reasons people don't vote is because they don't know who the candidates are or what they stand for."

Tips include door-knocking, meeting the public and doing media interviews, holding huis and using your own personal contacts to get the word out.

Freeman-Greene said social media can be a valuable tool, especially in reaching younger audiences.

"Social media gives candidates the ability to potentially reach a massive, targeted audience with their campaign messaging, often in a cost-effective way."

The Local Electoral Act 2001 sets out how much you can spend on campaigns, which LGNZ says is based on population in your area, ranging from just $3500 for a council population under 5000 to up to $100,000 if your council population is more than 1 million people.

Most elections use the 'First Past the Post' system (FPP) where the candidate with the most votes wins, but in 2022, 15 councils used the Single Transferable Voting system (STV) where voters rank candidates in order of preference.

What happens if nobody stands? And are candidates diverse enough?

If the number of candidates is less than the number of available positions, then the candidates who did get nominated are declared elected unopposed, Freeman-Greene said.

"The remaining vacancies (the ones with no candidates) are treated as extraordinary vacancies; the council or local authority must then hold a by-election to fill those vacant seats as soon as practicable after the election.

"If there are zero candidates for a position, then no one is elected to that role, and the position is left vacant. The local authority must then hold a by-election to try again to fill the position."

In 2022, women made up 38 percent of candidates, according to the Department of Internal Affairs.

Many also tend to be older, but Nelson's O'Neill-Stevens, as one of the youngest candidates to hold office, said young people are starting to see themselves as possible politicians too.

"For generations local government has been dominated by a relatively un-diverse representation, where young people haven't seen themselves reflected in their elected members, and when you can't see people like you in a space, it's hard to picture it as a place where you belong.

"In my first term I was the youngest elected member by nearly 30 years, so there was a very real sense of being the odd one out, because I was."

That soon changed, he said.

"I was very clear that I wasn't there to simply be a youth voice on issues, but as an unapologetically progressive representative for our community and I quickly found respect from colleagues as a diligent and effective councillor."

Is being a candidate harder in the age of social media?

While TikToks, Instagram posts and YouTube may be useful in getting your name out, it can also be difficult to run in the world of online trolls and threats - and of course your old posts could come back to haunt you.

"Social media also leaves candidates open to abuse and harassment; a growing trend in the political space," Freeman-Greene said. "The rise of fringe groups, anonymity of online forums and polarising coverage is feeding increasing abuse of people elected to both central and local government."

LGNZ launched a "how to stay safe" guide earlier this year to help elected officials navigate online harm.

"One tip: we recommend to candidates they create new social media accounts for their local campaign, instead of using their existing personal accounts - we also advise their personal accounts are locked from public view," Freeman-Greene said.

"This helps protect the candidate's privacy and limits unwanted interactions with anyone who has bad intentions."

What happens after candidates are chosen?

Here's the timeline:

• 4 July: Candidate nominations open and roll opens
• 1 August, midday: Candidate nominations close and roll closes
• 6 August: Public notice of candidates' names
• 9-22 September: Voting documents delivered
• 7 October: Last day for posting vote by mail. After this date votes must be returned to council's ballot boxes.
• 11 October: Election day - voting closes midday, followed by progress results
• 16-22 October: Declaration of results
• October/November 2025: Elected members sworn in

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