2022 Elections Tour Coming to a Community Near You

A district-wide campaign to encourage Far North residents to get enrolled, stand for council, and vote in the October local government elections begins this month.

The campaign will be supported by a specially branded ‘2022 Elections Tour’ van that will visit marae, community events, and café’s across the Far North from mid-June to early-October. The aim is to inform residents on how to get enrolled (Step Up - Tū Rangatira mai), get nominated for office (Stand Up - Tū kotahi mai), and vote (Speak Up - Mō te āpōpō).

Local government elections are held every three years across New Zealand with postal ballots due to be sent to electors from mid-September. The final day of voting will be on Saturday 8 October, closing at midday.

In the Far North, this year’s election will be different for three reasons: the total number of councillors has increased from nine to 10, it will be the first council election in the Far North to use the proportional Single Transferable Vote (STV) system instead of First Past the Post (FPP), and it will also be the first local election to include the Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward. Four candidates will be elected to represent this new ward.

Council CEO Blair King says the 2022 Elections Tour will travel throughout the Far North to answer any questions residents and ratepayers might have about this year’s election.

“We all rely on the core services delivered by councils, such as water, wastewater, and roading. More than that, councils also provide key placemaking services such as reserves, sporting facilities, playgrounds and libraries that help make our communities places we want to live in.”

He says that participating in local government elections gives all eligible residents the opportunity to vote for your local representative and to have a say in decisions that affect our whole community.

After voting packs are sent out to electors in September, a new addition to the postal vote option will be the 2022 Elections Tour van visiting communities with a Mobile Ballot Box. The aim is to encourage participation in our hardly reached communities.

The 2022 election campaign will also be supported by a video. The council-produced video showcases the diversity of our district and will be simultaneously released online in each of New Zealand’s three languages –Te Reo Māori, English and New Zealand Sign Language. It is the first time council has produced a video in each of New Zealand’s three languages: 

Key dates for the 2022 local government elections are:

• Friday 15 July 2022 – nominations open.
• Friday 12 August 2022 – nominations close.
• 16 September – 21 September – voting documents posted to electors.
• Saturday 8 October 2022 – election day.

For more information or to invite the 2022 Elections Tour van to your community, visit the council’s elections webpage at: www.fndc.govt.nz/Local-Elections-2022.