VIDEO - 2025 election: Your council, your call

Local elections are coming this October, and residents are being urged to make their local voice count by standing as a candidate and voting for the people they want to represent them on council.

Videos released this week in both te reo Māori and English launch the 2025 election campaign in the Far North. The campaign emphasises the importance of participation and encourages residents to think seriously about who represents them on council. Will your council sound like you? Speak like you? Represent you? The videos close with a clear message: If you don’t vote, you’re not in the boat. Ki te kore e pooti, kāore koe i te pōti.

This election all electors 18 years or older will vote on whether the Māori ward (Ngā Tai o Tokerau) remains in the Far North. As part of their vote, electors will be asked to say whether the Māori ward, introduced to give Māori communities greater representation at the council, should be kept or removed.

Nominations for candidates open 4 July, with voting papers being delivered from Tuesday 9 September and voting closing at 12 noon on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Far North District Council uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Because voters’ second, third, and other preferences are taken into account, the results are a more accurate indication of the total support each candidate has.

You can keep an eye out for a planned series of community information sessions and social media posts leading up to the election to help people understand the voting process, the significance of the Māori ward referendum, and the impact your local voice has on decisions being made at council that effect our Far North communities.

For more information on how to enrol, stand as a candidate or vote, visit vote.nz or check our webpage.