To be confirmed.

To be confirmed.

With the next local election happening in 2025 it is time to start checking whether you are enrolled to vote.

Everyone can enrol to vote in the place where they live. This is the Parliamentary Roll of RESIDENTIAL electors). If you are on the Parliamentary Roll, you should update your details if necessary before the election later in 2025. The place to do this is at vote.nz.

Ratepayer roll

People who live somewhere outside the Mackenzie District, but own a house in Mackenzie (and pay rates on it), can also enrol to vote in the Mackenzie electorate. This is known as the Non-resident RATEPAYER Roll.

About 2,500 people own properties in the Mackenzie District on which they pay rates but they live outside the Mackenzie District. In Mackenzie these people are called “ratepayer electors”.

Ratepayer electors can be on the Parliamentary Roll where they live, and also apply to vote in Mackenzie on the non-resident ratepayers roll. They are eligible to vote twice - both where they live and in the Mackenzie district.

Do I qualify to be a ratepayer elector in the Mackenzie district?

If you live in Mackenzie (and are enrolled to vote) you are a RESIDENTIAL elector.

If you live somewhere else but own property in Mackenzie you may be able to enrol as a RATEPAYER elector in Mackenzie.

The rules around who qualifies as a ratepayer elector are complex. You can use the Electionz.com ratepayer portal to find out if you are eligible and register online.

I enrolled and voted last time as a ratepayer elector. Will I automatically receive a voting paper for the Mackenzie district elections this year?

No. The RATEPAYER electoral roll only lasts for three years. You must re-enrol every three years (before the election) if you want to be able to vote in the district in which you own property but do not live.

This is different from the RESIDENTIAL electoral roll where you register once and then just need to keep your details updated.

What happens next?

Everyone who lives outside Mackenzie and who pays rates on properties in the Mackenzie District will receive a letter in early 2025 telling them they need to enrol on the RATEPAYERS roll to be able to vote in the Mackenzie District election in 2025.

If ratepayer electors don’t enrol before the election period, they need to visit a Mackenzie District Council office during the election period to enrol and cast a special vote.

Nominations for the above position open on Monday 24 November 2025 and must be made on the official nomination form.

• Mackenzie District Council Nomination Information - To be confirmed.
• Mackenzie District Council Nomination Form - To be confirmed.

Physical copies of the nomination form and a by-election information sheet can be requested from the Mackenzie District Council office, 53 Main Street, Fairlie or from the electoral officer (see contact details below).

Completed nomination documents must be received by the electoral officer no later than noon on Monday 22 December 2025. Each nomination must be accompanied by a deposit of $200 incl GST, payable by EFTPOS, cash or online banking (see nomination form for bank a/c details).

Candidates are encouraged to also submit a candidate profile statement and recent colour photograph. The requirements for the profile statement and photo are set out in the information sheet which is available with the nomination form. All nomination documents must be lodged together. Candidates should refer to the information sheet and candidate guide for further details.

A preliminary roll for the by-election can be inspected during normal office hours at the Mackenzie District Council office, 53 Main Street, Fairlie from Monday 24 November 2025 to Monday 22 December 2025.

Residential electors may enrol or amend their enrolment details on the electoral roll:

• Online at www.vote.nz
• By texting your name and address to 3676 to get a form sent to you
• By calling 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent to you
• By email request to enquiries@elections.govt.nz

Applications for registration as a ratepayer elector are to be made on the non-resident ratepayer elector enrolment form available wherever copies of the electoral rolls are displayed and must be returned to the Mackenzie District Council electoral officer before 4pm Monday 22 December 2025. Online applications for ratepayer elector registration can also be made through the non-resident ratepayer portal: www.electionz.com/ratepayer

Updates to the preliminary electoral roll close at 4pm on Monday 22 December 2025.

If a voting process is required to fill this vacancy, it will be conducted by postal voting using the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system. Candidate names will be listed in random order on the voting papers. The voting papers will be mailed out to electors on Friday 30 January 2026 and voting will close at midday on Tuesday 3 March 2026.

If you are enrolled as a parliamentary elector you will automatically be placed on council’s electoral roll as a residential elector. If you need to enrol or update existing name or address details on the parliamentary electoral roll, you can do so online at vote.nz or by phoning 0800 36 76 56.

To be confirmed.

Nic Zuppicich
Deputy Electoral Officer
Mackenzie District Council
Ph 03 685 9010 or email elections@mackenzie.govt.nz

Anthony Morton
Electoral Officer
Ph 0800 666 048 or email iro@electionz.com

To be confirmed.