Are you enrolled to vote? Is your nomination form in?

With two months to go to the local body elections, two important deadlines are looming – the deadline to get on the electoral roll and the deadline for candidate nominations.

“We can only accept candidate nominations until midday on Friday 12 August so if you are intending to stand for a Community Board position, a Council seat or the Mayoralty, and have not yet submitted your forms, now’s the time,” says Christchurch City Council Electoral Officer Jo Daly.

“While we will accept candidate nominations right up until the deadline, I strongly advise against leaving it to the last minute. That is because if there is an issue with your nomination that needs correcting, you need to have time to amend it before nominations close or you may miss out on being able to stand.”

Nomination forms are available online and from Council Service Centres. Completed forms and nomination documents should be delivered to the Electoral Office on the ground floor of the Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street, Christchurch, or emailed to nomination2022@ccc.govt.nz to arrive before midday on 12 August.

As of 5pm last night, there are 75 confirmed candidates for 54 positions available through the Christchurch City Council elections.

View a list of the confirmed candidates.

Ms Daly says Friday 12 August is also the day the electoral roll closes.

“People who are registered to vote on the electoral roll are automatically enrolled to vote in local authority elections on the residential roll and should have received an enrolment update pack in the mail by now.

“If you have not received your pack, then it means that you are not enrolled or the Electoral Commission does not have your current address. You can enrol or update your details by visiting Vote NZ or by phoning 0800 ENROLNOW (0800 36 76 56).

“It is important the Electoral Commission has the right address for you as the local elections are held by postal vote and people need to be enrolled at the right address to receive their voting papers in the mail,” says Ms Daly.

While the electoral roll closes on 12 August, people can still enrol to vote in the local elections after that date.

“If you enrol or update your address by 5pm 12 August 2022 you won’t get your voting papers sent to you in the mail. You will need to contact me, as Electoral Officer, and request special voting papers, which is easy to do,” Ms Daly says.

“The local elections are your one chance every three years to choose who you want representing you in local decision-making. If you are eligible to vote, please make sure that you are on the electoral roll and that you exercise your democratic right to vote. Your vote can make a difference.”