And action! Candidate videos now online

Three-quarters of candidates standing in the Far North local elections have taken the opportunity to outline who they are and what they stand for in videos now available on our Speak Up and Vote webpage.

The 90-second videos were filmed at no extra cost to ratepayers, with the aim of making it easier for voters to make well-informed decisions when filling in their postal voting forms.

Seventy-six per cent of the eligible candidates opted to have a video shot by council staff. Each candidate was provided with the same three questions as a guide for their video – who they are and what roles they are standing for, their top priorities for council and the Far North District, and the biggest challenge facing the district. The videos are intended to complement traditional candidate handbooks, which feature a photo and statement from each candidate, and are still included with voting papers.

Voters will start receiving their postal voting forms from Tuesday 9 September, when voting in the local elections opens. Voting closes at midday on Saturday 11 October.

To ensure people are well-informed about the candidates, voters are encouraged to gather their friends and whānau together to check out the candidate videos and have a kōrero before making their voting choices.

‘Meet the candidates’ events are being held across the Far North so please regularly check our webpage for updates, or contact us at elections@fndc.govt.nz if you’d like to host an event.

Hosting Vote Day Events is another way communities can encourage participation. These events are community led and community focused. The events can be specifically about encouraging voting, or they can be added on to events already planned.

It’s not too late to enrol

Anyone who is yet to enrol can do so via a special vote at any one of our eight service centres or any location on our Mobile Ballot Box Tour. Locations for the tour will be published this week.

What you’ll be voting for

All eligible voters can vote for:

• The Far North Mayor
• Your local community board – based on the subdivision area you live in
• Your Northland Regional Council representative(s) – based on the constituency area you live in.

In addition, depending on the roll you are on:

• General Roll voters will vote for Far North Councillors based on the ward you live in e.g. Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward, Kaikohe-Hokianga Ward or Te Hiku Ward
• Māori Roll voters will vote for Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward Councillors.

Go here to find out how to check which electoral roll you are on.

Remember, there are two binding polls too

• Whether to keep or remove the Māori ward for Far North District Council
• Whether to keep or remove the Māori constituency for Northland Regional Council.

These decisions will apply at the 2028 and 2031 elections.

You can find out more about the Māori Ward Poll in an animation in te reo Māori and English here.

VOTE LOCAL.