Elections

Local body elections are held every three years. The next election is this year in October.

Elections will be held for:

• Mayor
• Councillors
• Community board members
• Southland Regional Council (known as Environment Southland) members
• Southern District Health Board members
• Gore and Districts Health Incorporated members
• Mataura Licensing Trust members

Key dates in the 2010 election process are set out in the following table.

2 March - 30 April	Ratepayer roll enrolment confirmation forms sent [Regulation 16 LER]
2 March - 30 April	Preparation of ratepayer roll [Regulation 10 LER]
10 April	Final representation review decisions from LGC
1 - 31 May	SOLGM national ratepayer roll qualifications and procedures campaign [Section 39 LEA]
5 July	EEC enrolment update campaign commences
9 July	Campaign expenditure monitoring period commences [Section 104 LEA]
12 - 21 July	Compilation of preliminary electoral roll [Section 38 LEA]
21 July	Public notice of election, call for nominations, roll open for inspection [Sections 42, 52, 53 LEA] Nominations and roll open on 23 July.
20 August	Nominations close (12.00 noon)/roll closes [Sections 5, 42, 55 LEA]
25 August (approx)	Public notice of candidate names [Section 65 LEA]
By 31 August	Ratepayer roll insert with rates notice [Section 39 LEA]
By 13 September	Electoral officer certifies final electoral roll [Section 51 LEA, Regulation 22 LER]
17 September	EEC letter sent to unpublished roll electors
17 - 22 September	Delivery of voting documents [Section 5 LEA]
17 September - 9 October	Progressive roll scrutiny [Section 83 LEA] Special voting period [Section 5 LEA, Regulations 35 LER] Early processing of voting documents [Section 79 LEA]
By 12.00 noon 8 October	Appointment of scrutineers [Section 79 LEA]
9 October	Election day [Section 10 LEA] Voting closes 12.00 noon - counting commences [Section 85 LEA] Preliminary results available as soon as practicable after close of voting [Section 85 LEA]
9 - 13 October	Official count [Section 84 LEA]
13 - 20 October	Declaration of result/public notice of results [Section 86 LEA]
By 8 December (approx)	Return of electoral expenses and donations form [Section 109 LEA]

 

LEA = Local Electoral Act 2001	LER = Local Electoral Regulations 2001
LGC = Local Government Commission	EEC = Electoral Enrolment Centre
SOLGM = Society of Local Government Managers

Nomination Papers

• Nominations open on Friday, 23 July 2010
• Nominations close at 12.00 noon, Friday, 20 August 2010

Availability of Nomination Papers

• Each nomination must be made on the appropriate official Nomination Paper. A separate Nomination Paper is required for each issue or position and these are available from Friday, 23 July 2010 at the following locations:

Nomination Papers for the Southland District Council are available from:

• Invercargill Office, 15 Forth Street
• Lumsden Office, 18 Diana Street
• Otautau Office, 174 Main Street
• Riverton Office, 117 Palmerston Street
• Stewart Island Office, 9 Ayr Street
• Te Anau Office, 116 Town Centre
• Winton Office, 1 Wemyss Street
• Wyndham Office, 24 Balaclava Street

or by telephoning the Electoral Officer, Southland District Council, telephone 0800 732 732.

Nomination Papers for the Southland Regional Council (known as Environment Southland) are available from local Council Electoral Officers in the Southland Region, as follows:

• Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill
• Invercargill City Council, 101 Esk Street, Invercargill
• Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore
• Environment Southland, Cnr Price Street and North Road, Invercargill

Nomination Papers for the Southern District Health Board are available from all local Council Electoral Officers within the Southern District Health Board area, as follows:

• Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill
• Invercargill City Council, 101 Esk Street, Invercargill
• Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore
• Dunedin City Council, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin
• The offices of the Southern District Health Board

Nomination Papers for Gore and Districts Health Incorporated Board are available from the Electoral Officer of the following local authorities:

• Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill
• Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore

Nomination Papers for Mataura Licensing Trust are available from the Electoral Officer of the following local authorities:

• Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill
• Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore

Candidate Profile Statement

Every candidate may provide the electoral officer with a candidate profile statement with his of her nomination. This is a statement of up to 150 words containing information about the candidate and his or her policies and intentions if elected to office. The profile may include a recent passport size photograph. The candidate profile statement must be true and accurate. The electoral officer is not required to verify or investigate any information included in this statement.

The candidate profile statement must be included with the voting document sent to each elector by the electoral officer.

If a candidate chooses not to supply a profile statement or photograph then a message will appear in the profile booklet that a statement/photograph was not supplied by the candidate.

Electoral Officer:
Phil Culling
Southland District Council
15 Forth Street, Invercargill 9840

Phone - 0800 732 732
Fax - 0800 732 329
Email - phil.culling@southlanddc.govt.nz

Deputy Electoral Officer:
Virginia Dillon
Southland District Council
15 Forth Street, Invercargill 9840

Phone - 0800 732 732
Fax - 0800 732 329
Email - virginia.dillon@southlanddc.govt.nz

Under the Local Government Act 2002, Council must review its representation arrangements every six years. The last review was held in 2006 and so the next review will be carried out in 2012.

2006 Representation Review
2007 Election Results

For more information, follow the link to the Elections New Zealand website.