Final days to vote!
Your votes matter!
If you haven’t yet voted in this year’s Local Elections there is still time.
Votes for the 2022 local elections will be taken until midday Saturday, 8 October.
Voting paper returns are currently tracking behind the same time last election, in 2019.
If you haven't already completed your voting papers, there is still time to do so but instead of posting them you'll need to drop them off in one of our orange Vote 2022 ballot bins at one of THESE LOCATIONS, or you can drop them off at Rotorua Lakes Council. You will have until midday Saturday to do so.
If you are enrolled but didn't receive voting papers you can come in to Rotorua Lakes Council to vote.
If you're not enrolled to vote but wish to enrol there is still time - you have until tomorrow, Friday, 6 October, to enrol – go to www.vote.nz to do this.
You can then get voting papers and vote at Rotorua Lakes Council, until midday Saturday.
All completed voting papers must be delivered to Rotorua Lakes Council (Civic Centre, Haupapa Street) by midday Saturday [8 October].
Special votes can also be made until midday on Saturday, also at Rotorua Lakes Council.
The new Council will consist of a mayor and 10 councillors, including one rural ward councillor and three Maori ward councillors, a change from 2019 following a representation review and subsequent decision by the Electoral Commission.
This election there are 7 candidates standing for Mayor, 2 for the one rural ward seat, 6 for the three Maori ward seats and 19 for six general ward seats.
Four candidates stood for the four seats on the Rural Community Board and four stood for the four seats on the Lakes Community Board. This means no election was required and the following candidates were elected unopposed:
Rural Community Board: Rachel Clark, Colin Guyton, Anker Hansen, Ben Hollier.
Lakes Community Board: Nick Chater, Stephanie George, Peter MacMillan, Phill Thomass.
Election process and timeline
Saturday 8 October:
Special votes can be made and completed voting papers dropped off at Rotorua Lakes Council until midday.
2pm (approx) - Progress results expected to be in. Candidates will be phoned and emailed and the results will be posted on Council’s website (rotorualakescouncil.nz).
The progress result does not include some special votes and votes returned today (8 October) that are still in transit to the processing centre. The outcome of these elections may change once all votes have been counted.
Sunday 9 October:
4pm (approx) - Preliminary results expected to be in. Candidates will be emailed and the results will be posted on Council website (rotorualakescouncil.nz).
Remember, the outcome of these elections may change once all votes have been counted.
Thursday 13 October or Friday 14 October:
8pm (approx) - Final results are expected to be in and will be uploaded to Council’s website.
Friday 14/Saturday 15 October:
Final results publicly notified.
The new Council and community board members officially take office the day after public notification of the final results..
Friday 21 October (subject to change):
Inaugural meeting of the new Council which will include swearing in of mayor, councillors, rural community board members and lakes community board members.
In the weeks following this meeting there will be an induction process for the newly sworn-in elected members.
To track daily voting progress, go to THIS LINK
For all your Vote 2022 information, including to view candidate profiles and read the pre-election report, see THIS LINK