FAQs - Relating to Elections

• Candidates
   
• Complaints
   
• Election Results
   
• Enrolment

• General Information
   
• Members
   
• Voting

General Information

The Mayor of the City is elected At Large, i.e. city-wide.
Councillors are voted in two Wards – West Ward and East Ward.
 

A Councillor:

• Participates in strategic planning for the whole District/Region;
• Develops policy across a wide range of activities and services;
• Represents the District/Region at functions as required;
• Reviews and develops bylaws for the District/Region;
• Advocates on a wide range of issues;
• Coordinates and forms partnerships with other spheres of government and other agencies;
• Participates in the appointment and performance review of the Chief Executive Officer;
• Acts on all these matters within a legislative and regulatory framework, and setting a budget and rates.

Candidates

You must be a New Zealand Citizen and your name must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll.

You will need to have two people who live in the area of the election you are standing for to nominate you – e.g., if you stand for the XYZ Ward, they will need to reside within that Ward.  (Please note the candidate does not need to reside in the district or ward in which they are standing)

You will need to pay a deposit of $200 GST inclusive.

Your nomination must be received by 12 noon on 20 August.

If you pay the deposit by cheque and if it is dishonoured after nominations close, your nomination will not be accepted.

If you poll more than 25% of the final quota as determined by the last iteration (for STV) or greater than 25% of the lowest polling successful candidate (for FPP elections) you will receive your deposit back.
 

No, but you must be on the Parliamentary Roll and be a New Zealand Citizen.,
 

You can stand for mayor, district-wide councillor or ward councillor and community board member.  However, if you win more than one you will take up the highest ranked position.

You can not stand for both a constituent district or city council and their regional council.

You can not stand for more than one District Health Board.
 

If a candidate is standing for more than one position (e.g. Mayor and Council) then the higher limit applies.

All candidates are required to lodge an electoral expenses and donations return within 55 days after the results are officially notified.  If this is not done it is possible that a non return will be advised to the NZ Police.  This return needs to be made before a candidate deposit is refuned.
 

Enrolment

Have you lived at your current address for more than one month?    è  Yes

Are you on the Parliamentary roll at an address in Hamilton?    è  Yes

You will automatically appear on the roll that is used for these elections.
or
Is this your main place of residence?    è  Yes

Are you on the Parliamentary roll at an address in Hamilton?    è  No or Don’t Know

You need to complete an enrolment form for this.  You can either:

• pick one up at any New Zealand Post Shop
• we can send one out
• you can enrol online at www.elections.org.nz
• ring 0800 36 76 56
• send your name and address to Freetext 3676

Is this your main place of residence?    è  No

Are you on the Parliamentary roll at an address in another district?    è  Yes

If you own a property in this district and it is not your main residence you may be able to enrol as a Ratepayer elector.

• Refer to ratepayer enrolment advice below
• Also you can Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

Not necessarily. If you are enrolling for the first time you can decide whether you want to go on the Maori roll or the General roll by signing the appropriate panel on the Parliamentary Elector Enrolment form.

However, if you have already made that choice you will have to wait until the next Maori Option period to change.  That will be in 2012.
 

The Electoral Enrolment Centre will be undertaking a roll update campaign for the Parliamentary Electoral roll which forms the basis of our roll for the local authority election.

This will start on 5 July 2010 and if you did not receive a letter in the post the chances are you are not enrolled or your details are incorrect.
  

Yes, but you need to make sure you have enrolled which you can do provisionally from the age of 17 and it automatically changes when you turn 18.

You will also need to apply for a special vote.

You can do both if you call at Hamilton City Council, Municipal Building, Garden Place, Hamilton.
 

Yes, subject to being eligible to become enrolled as a ratepayer elector and becoming enrolled.
 

Yes

If it is easier you can call at (Special Voting venue) and complete the enrolment form and have your special vote at the same time.

No

In no case does this allow you to have two votes at the election.

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

Voting

After mail delivery Wednesday 22 September check the address on the printed roll to see whether correctly enrolled.

If Yes, you will need to apply for a special vote. Electoral Officer will need to speak with the caller.

If No, you need to complete an enrolment form for this. You can pick one up at any New Zealand Post Shop, or we can send one out, or you can enrol online at www.elections.org.nz or ring 0800 36 76 56 or send your name and address to Freetext 3676.
 

If they are overseas, you could fast post them to the person or destroy them if that is not practicable.

If they are for an elderly parent who is unable to vote please destroy them by ripping/cutting them up.
 

Write GNA (Gone No Address) on the envelope and put it back in the mail.
 

It is a legal requirement to scan the barcode number to mark the roll that you have voted so we can ensure that we do not receive two votes from the same person.
 

The voter’s name is not on the voting document.

When the envelope is opened the only thing the Electoral Officer is looking for is that the vote for each election is valid.

• This means that for FPP they are making sure that the voter's intention is clear and they have not ticked or marked more than the number of candidates that they are electing.
• For STV it is to make sure that no preference numbers are used more than once or omitted, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5 and that there is always a number one marked against a candidates name.  It should be like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc, in numerical order up to as many preferences the voter wishes to vote for.

To help you get to know about the candidates:

• Additionally there is a candidate profile booklet that comes out with the voting documents in which there is a photo and a statement from candidates

However, you can also deliver to one of our voting boxes which are at the:

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

• Check the printed roll including the ratepayer roll to ensure they were included in the mail file and that they are correctly enrolled.

    è  No/Don’t Know

• Check the printed roll including the ratepayer roll.

Your main residence (Hamilton)

• Hamilton City Council, Municipal Building, Garden Place, Hamilton or phone 07 838 6699.

Ratepayers - not main residence (outside of Hamilton)

• Hamilton City Council, Municipal Building, Garden Place, Hamilton or phone 07 838 6699.

In both instances you will need to have a special vote.
 

However we can issue you with another voting document if you would rather.
 

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

If authorised by a voter who is physically impaired, visually impaired or for whom English is a second language, a person can assist them to vote as directed by the voter.
 

After 21 days the court is responsible for destroying them.
 

Please note that DHB elections are conducted under STV and so you will exercise your vote by ranking your preferred candidates.
 

For more information about STV go to www.stv.govt.nz .

To exercise a STV vote, start by writing the number 1 in the box next to the candidate you most want to be elected.  Write the number 2 next to your second most preferred candidate and so on 3, 4, 5 etc.

You can write as many preferences or as few as you like up to however many candidates are standing for that election.

You must write the number 1 for your vote to be counted.

Do not write the same number more than once, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5 and do not miss a number from your preferences, e.g., 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.
 

You should mark those you want to vote for with a tick in the circle.  Do not vote for more than the number of candidates shown in the instructions.
 

Election Results

Progress and preliminary results will be announced as soon as possible after 12 noon on Saturday 9 October.

The official results will be announced when special votes have been checked, but no later than in the week of 11-15 October.
 

• Will be advised as soon as possible after Preliminary results are known.  This may be by email or phone.

The Voters

• Progress results will be available from approximately 2pm on Council’s website – www.hamilton.co.nz/elections
• Preliminary results will be available from approximately 7pm.

For all council election results, go to Local Government Online – www.elections2010.co.nz .
 

•  Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

Members

DHB board members take up office 58 days after election day.
 

All DHB board members are accountable to the Minister of Health.
 

This is set by the Remuneration Authority.  Some expenses are also reimbursed.

DHB board members are paid on the basis of the Government’s Fees framework.
 

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.

Complaints

I have a complaint about Electoral signage?

• The signs don’t have the required authorisation on them.
• The signs have been pulled over.
• The signs are bigger than they should be.
• What locations can signs be erected?
• When can they be erected and when must they be pulled down?

• Refer to Electoral Officer, Anthony Dick on 07 838 6883.