Our next local elections will be on Saturday 11 October 2025 and now is a great time to check that you're enrolled to vote. If you are enrolled on an electoral roll - (elections.nz) you can expect to get your voting papers between 9 – 22 September 2025.
View past election results 2022 - (PDF, 124KB)
Now – July 2025 | Make sure you’re enrolled to vote. |
1 July 2025 | Candidate nominations open. |
11 July 2025 | Last day for Māori electors to change electoral rolls. |
1 August 2025 | Candidate nominations close at 12 noon. |
6 August 2025 | Candidates announced. |
9 – 22 September 2025 | Voting papers sent to enrolled voters. |
9 September – 11 October 2025 | Voting open. |
11 October 2025 | Voting closes at 12 noon (progress & preliminary results published as soon as possible after close of voting). |
16 – 19 October 2025 | Final results announced. |
Your life is impacted by local government on a daily basis. Your local council provides all these services and so much more:
Rotorua Lakes Council provides leadership and direction for our district, and is responsible for the social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being of our community. Councils are responsible for representing their community, the governance of their community, and to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi.
While Parliament is elected to deal with issues relevant to the whole of Aotearoa, your elected members of Rotorua Lakes Council make decisions on services you interact with on a daily basis.
That's why it's so important to have your say in who represents your community: vote in the local election.
If you’re Māori and 18 or over, you can choose which electoral roll you want to be on: the Māori roll or the general roll.
The roll you choose decides which electorate you vote in. It also affects which candidates you can choose from to represent you and your rohe in parliamentary elections and local elections.
On 31 March 2023 the Māori Electoral Option changed - if you’re Māori, you can now change your roll type at any time, except:
It’s quick and easy to find more information about the Māori Electoral Option, enrol, update your address, or change the roll you’re on. Visit vote.nz or call 0800 36 76 56 and have your New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity ready.