Voting papers hit Coastie letterboxes from 9 September as the 2025 local elections get underway across Auckland, including right here on the Hibiscus Coast.

Need to enrol or check if you can vote?

Who can vote and how to enrol:

https://voteauckland.co.nz/en/who-can-vote-how-to-enrol.html

A total of 476 nominations were received before the Friday 1 August deadline, meaning all 172 available positions will be contested—except for two uncontested seats in Ōrākei and Rodney.

That’s 11 more nominations than in 2022.

Every three years, Coasties vote by post to choose:

• 1 Auckland mayor
• 20 ward councillors
• 151 local board members

Twelve people have put their names forward for mayor, with a full list of ward and board candidates available from today at voteauckland.co.nz/candidates.

How the winners are decided

All elections in Auckland use the First Past the Post (FPP) system.

You simply tick the name of the candidate(s) you want elected.

If three positions are up for grabs, you can vote for up to three people. Those with the most votes win.

So why does this matter?

Local government decisions directly affect daily life. That includes:

• The rates you pay
• How parks, libraries, pools and roads are funded
• Rules about where your dog can go
• Events, building consents, rubbish collection, and more

Governance and Engagement GM Lou-Ann Ballantyne says the diversity of candidates shows Aucklanders are stepping up for their communities.

A newly upgraded Vote Auckland website will help voters find candidate details specific to their address.

Ballantyne says, “That voting paper is more powerful than some may think—otherwise someone else will choose for you.”

Seen something local we should cover?

Let us know at [email protected]