Information about how and when to vote, and results for Dunedin's past elections.
Local elections
Local elections are held every three years by postal vote. In Dunedin they give residents and other ratepayers the chance to vote for a Mayor, 14 Councillors, Community Boards and the Otago Regional Council.
The next election will be held on Saturday, 11 October 2025.
Enrolling to vote
To enrol please go to www.vote.nz website.
Residential and non-resident ratepayer electors
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Residential electors
If you are registered to vote in Parliamentary elections (a Parliamentary elector), you are automatically enrolled as a residential elector to vote in local authority elections. In local authority elections, the address where you are registered as a Parliamentary elector must be in the same council district you are voting in.
To enrol, or to check and update your details for the parliamentary electoral role, at vote.nz
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Non-resident ratepayer electors
If you own property in Dunedin but live elsewhere, you may be able to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector and vote in both areas.
Check your eligibility and enrol online at https://ratepayers.electionz.com/Ratepayers (link to external website, new window) or you can fill out the enrolment form.
Notices
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Notice of 2025 Triennial Local Authority Elections
The following elections will be held by postal vote on Saturday 11 October 2025.
Dunedin City Council
(Single Transferable Voting electoral system)
- Election of the mayor
- Election of fourteen councillors at large
- Election of six members for the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board
- Election of six members for the Otago Peninsula Community Board
- Election of six members for the Saddle Hill Community Board
- Election of six members for the Strath Taieri Community Board
- Election of six members for the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board
- Election of six members for the West Harbour Community Board
Candidate names will be listed in random order on the voting papers.
Nominations
Nominations for the listed positions open on Friday 4 July 2025 and must be made on the appropriate nomination form for each position. Nomination forms and a candidate information handbook can be found either on the Dunedin City Council website, or by request to the electoral officer via the contact options listed below. Completed nomination documents must be received by the electoral officer no later than 12 noon on Friday 1 August 2025. Each nomination must be accompanied by a deposit of $200 incl GST, payable by eftpos, cash or online banking (see nomination form for requirements).
Candidates are encouraged to submit a candidate profile statement and colour photograph with their nomination, for sending out with voting documents to electors. The requirements for profile statements and photos are set out in the candidate handbook which is available with the nomination forms. All nomination documents must be lodged at the same time.
Electoral Rolls
Preliminary electoral rolls for these elections can be inspected at the following locations during office hours from Friday 4 July 2025 to Friday 1 August 2025.
- Customer Service Centre, Civic Centre, The Octagon, Dunedin
- Mosgiel Library/Service Centre, Hartstonge Avenue, Mosgiel
- Port Chalmers Library/Service Centre, Beach Street, Port Chalmers
- Dunedin City Library, Moray Place, Dunedin
- Waikouaiti Library, Main Road, Waikouaiti
- Blueskin Library, Harvey Street, Waitati
Electors may also check their details by telephone to Dunedin City Council Customer Service Centre on (03) 477 4000.
Electors may enrol or amend their enrolment details on the residential electoral roll by contacting the Electoral Commission:
- Online at www.vote.nz
- By texting your name and address to 3676 to ask for a form to be sent to you
- By calling 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent to you
- By emailing enquiries@elections.govt.nz to ask for a form to be sent to you.
Updates to the preliminary electoral roll close at 5pm on Friday 1 August 2025.
You can still enrol after this time; however, you will need to cast a special vote. Locations and hours for community voting sessions will be published closer to the voting period.
Applications for registration as a ratepayer elector are to be made on the non-resident ratepayer elector enrolment form available wherever copies of the electoral rolls are displayed and must be returned to the Dunedin City Council electoral officer before 5pm Friday 1 August 2025. Online applications for ratepayer elector registration can also be made through the non-resident ratepayer portal: www.electionz.com/ratepayer
Anthony Morton
Electoral Officer – Dunedin City Council
PO BOX 3138, Christchurch
dcc@electionz.com
0800 666 048
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz -
Further Notice of Election
Nominations have closed for the 2025 triennial local authority elections. Listed below are details of the confirmed candidates for Dunedin City Council.
Where elections are required, they will be conducted by postal voting using the Single Transferable Vote electoral system. Voting will open on Tuesday 9 September 2025 and will close at 12 noon on Saturday 11 October 2025.
Mayoralty (1 Vacancy)
- ARONSON, Lync (Independent-Fully Funded City Council)
- BARKER, Sophie (Independent - working for you)
- HALL, Doug
- HOULAHAN, Carmen (Independent)
- LAUFISO, Marie (Building Kotahitaka)
- MACFARLANE, Lianna (Independent)
- MAYHEM, Mandy
- MILNE, David
- NISBETT, Flynn (Nisvett) (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party)
- ONG, Benedict
- RADICH, Jules (Independent)
- ROSE-WILLS, Zenith (aka Ruthven Allimrac) (The Radical Action Faction)
- SIMMS, Andrew (Future Dunedin)
- TAYLOR, Pamela (Independent)
- TREADWELL, Mickey (Green Party)
- VANDERVIS, Lee (Independent)
Council - At Large (14 Vacancies)
- ACKLIN, Bill (Independent)
- AKERS, Lachlan
- ARONSON, Lync (Independent-Fully Funded City Council)
- BARKER, Sophie (Independent - working for you)
- BENNETT, Tony
- BRAZIL, Rachel (Independent)
- CEBULLA-ELDER, Heike
- CHAMBERS, John (Your Health Candidate)
- DAVIE-NITIS, Sarah (Independent)
- ELDER, Cyndee (Building Kotahitaka)
- FINNIE, Rose (Green Party)
- GALER, Jo (Independent)
- GAREY, Christine (Independent)
- GILBERT, Kevin (Independent)
- GROSHINSKI, Jett (Labour)
- HALL, Doug
- HAMLIN, Robert (Independent)
- HART, Karl
- HODSON, Jarrod (Future Dunedin)
- HOULAHAN, Carmen (Independent)
- JOHNSON, Marita (Independent)
- KENNY, Anthony (ACT Local: Real Change. Lower Rates)
- KNIGHT, Anna (Building Kotahitaka)
- KNIGHTS, Richard (Independent)
- LAUFISO, Marie (Building Kotahitaka)
- LUCAS, Cherry (Independent)
- LUND, Russell (Independent)
- MACFARLANE, Lianna (Independent)
- MAYHEM, Mandy
- MILNE, David (Independent)
- O'MALLEY, Jim (Independent)
- O'NEILL, Hugh (Independent)
- OLSEN, Jen (The Radical Action Faction)
- ONG, Benedict
- POOLE, Marian
- POPE, Paul (Independent)
- RADICH, Jules (Independent)
- RANGA, Bruce (Future Dunedin)
- ROBERTSON, Evelyn (Independent)
- ROONEY, Daniel
- SIMMS, Andrew (Future Dunedin)
- STEDMAN, Conrad (Future Dunedin)
- SUTTON, Andrew (Future Dunedin)
- TAYLOR, Amy (Future Dunedin)
- TAYLOR, Pamela (Independent)
- TODD, Sue (Independent)
- TREADWELL, Mickey (Green Party)
- TWEMLOW, Rebecca (Bex) (Future Dunedin)
- VANDERVIS, Lee (Independent)
- WALKER, Steve (Labour)
- WARRING, Lily (Green Party)
- WEATHERALL, Brent
- WHILEY, Andrew (Independent)
- WILLIAMS, Paul
Strath Taieri Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- BAIN, Ken
- FREW, David (Jock)
- GEDDES, Terina
- HALL, Donna
- MACLEOD, Quentin (Soddy)
- MARKHAM, Tony
- RAMSAY, Sheila
- THOMAS, Bruce
- THOMAS, Robin
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- BARRATT, Andy
- BAYNE, Athol R (Independent)
- BILLYARD, Sonya
- GREENHALGH, Timothy
- HAILES, Danny
- KNIGHT, Anna (Building Kotahitaka)
- MCCUTCHEON, Brian
- MCINNES, Rachel
- MORRISON, Alasdair
- MUTCH, Stefan
- TAIT, Geraldine
Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- ANNGOW, Malcolm
- BANKS, Austen
- FINNIE, Rose
- PEAT, Brian
- ROBIN, Alexis (Future Dunedin)
- SHEPHERD, Rebecca
- SUTTON, Andrew (Future Dunedin)
- WALLACE, Kimberlee
- WILSON, Steve (Future Dunedin)
Saddle Hill Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- ALLEN, Pim
- BOEREBOOM, Tracey
- FUNNELL, Emily
- KING, Solomon
- MACFARLANE, Lianna (Independent)
- MCLEAN, Andy
- MCLELLAN, Barry (Baza) (Independent)
- MOYLE, John
- SANTAGATI, Vianney
- SINTMAARTENSDYK, André
- WEIR, Paul
West Harbour Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- EDDY, Duncan
- HODSON, Jarrod
- KENDRICK, Jenny B.
- MCERLANE, Ange
- NEWTON, Matthew
- OLAH, Barbara (Independent)
- POOLE, Marian
- SEFTON, Wayne (Blackdog)
Otago Peninsula Community Board (6 Vacancies)
- CHAMBERS, Warren (Independent)
- KATAE, Donna
- KOKAUA-BALFOUR, Stacey
- LANGSBURY, Hoani (Independent)
- MCLEAN, Amanda (Independent)
- NEILL, Cheryl (Independent)
- O'NEILL, Hugh (Independent)
- POPE, Paul (Independent)
- STRYBOSCH, Emma (Independent)
- SWEETMAN, Iain
- WESLEY-EVANS, (Koreana Independent)
Enrolment and Special Voting Arrangements
Dunedin City Council residential electors who are not listed on the final electoral roll for these elections can enrol up to 5pm on Friday 10 October 2025 by calling 0800 36 76 56, visiting the Electoral Commission website www.vote.nz, by texting your name and address to 3676 to get a form sent to you or by email request to enquiries@elections.govt.nz.
Dunedin City Council ratepayers who are not listed on the final electoral roll for these elections can obtain an enrolment form from the Dunedin City Council Office, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin. and enrol up to 5pm on Friday 10 October 2025. Online applications for ratepayer elector registration can also be made at www.electionz.com/ratepayer.
Special voting documents will be available during normal office hours from Tuesday 9 September to Friday 10 October and between 9am and 12 noon, Saturday 11 October 2025 from the Dunedin City Council office, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, The Octagon, Dunedin.
Anthony Morton
Electoral Officer – Dunedin City Council
PO Box 3138 Christchurch 8140
iro@electionz.com
0800 666 048
dunedin.govt.nz/council/electoral-information