Getting animated about the Māori Ward Poll

An animated video about voting in the Māori Ward Poll – which is part of the Local Elections this year – has been created in-house at the council and goes live on social media on Wednesday 9 July.

When voting in the local elections this year, Far North residents and ratepayers will be asked to vote in a binding poll about Māori wards and constituencies.

While Māori wards and constituencies are elected by voters registered on the Māori electoral roll, the decision about keeping or removing them is everyone’s to make at this year’s local election. You can find the full story about voting in the Māori Ward Poll here.

In the Far North, the Māori Ward – Ngā Tai o Tokerau covers the entire district and is represented by four councillors.

The Māori Ward Poll will ask voters to choose between two simple questions:

• “I vote to keep the Māori ward / constituency”
• “I vote to remove the Māori ward / constituency”

These questions apply to the Far North District Māori Ward and the Northland Regional Council Māori Constituency. The result of the poll will determine whether the Māori ward and constituency remain in place or are removed. The outcome of this voting will take effect from the 2028 local elections, with the decision being binding for the 2028 and 2031 elections.

All enrolled residents and ratepayers are eligible to vote. Voting will be by postal ballot, with voting packs sent out from 9 September 2025.

The video to raise awareness about voting in the Māori Ward Poll is the first time an animation has been created in-house and having staff with this specialist skill has opened new opportunities for engaging with Far North communities without extra costs to ratepayers. It also means potential savings from out-sourcing similar short-form animations in the future.

The first-of-its-kind animation features two characters practising their waka ama skills on the Hokianga Harbour while discussing what the poll means and why it’s important. Creating the backdrop of the harbour was achieved by using previously shot drone footage. The result is a bespoke animation featuring Far North landscapes to bring home the importance of local voices having a say in this significant kaupapa. Half of all Far North residents whakapapa Māori. If you’re eligible to vote in this year’s local election make sure your voice is heard, enrol now at vote.nz.

• Thursday 10 July – is the last day to change rolls in time for the local government election
• Friday 1 August - you must be enrolled by this date to get your voting pack mailed to you
• Saturday 11 October - you must cast your vote before midday on this day for your vote to be counted.

To stay informed about this year’s election campaign, including key dates and candidate announcements, visit our Local Elections webpage.

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You can view the English version of the animation here.

You can view the reo Māori version of the animation here.