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Interested in standing as a councillor?

To stand as a councillor, candidates must be:

  • a New Zealand citizen (by birth or naturalisation ceremony); and
  • enrolled as a Parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand on the General or Maaori roll); and
  • nominated by two electors whose names appear on the general electoral roll for the Hamilton East Ward.

 

Download a nomination form

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Frequently asked questions

What qualifications and experience do I need to be a candidate?

Elected members come from all walks of life and generally have a desire to serve their community.

You do not need to reside in the Hamilton East General Ward in order to stand.

You do not need any formal qualifications.

Other requirements are that:

  • You must be a New Zealand citizen and be a parliamentary elector anywhere in New Zealand.
  • You are nominated by two electors in the Hamilton East Ward.
  • You or your spouse/partner must not have concerns or interests in contracts over $25,000 with Council.
  • If you are subject to a Court Order under section 31 of the Protection of Personal Property Rights Act 1988, you should take legal advice.
  • If you are an employee of Council, you must resign before taking up your position as an elected member. Depending on the circumstances, under Council Policy you may need to take leave for campaigning prior to the election.

Where do I get a nomination form from?

Contact elections@hcc.govt.nz or phone the Deputy Electoral Officer on 07 838 6439 to request a nomination form. Your nominators must fill it in. You must agree to being nominated and will also need to sign the form.

You will be able to obtain a nomination form from 24 November 2023.

Nominations close on Friday 22 December 2023 at midday sharp. Nominations must be lodged with the electoral officer or an electoral official at the Municipal Building, 260 Anglesea Street.

Do not leave lodgement until the last day because if there any problems with the details provided there might be insufficient time to resolve them and you could miss out.

Who is able to nominate me?

Both nominators must be on the electoral roll for the area (in this case the General Roll for the East ward) for which you are standing.

You are not able to nominate yourself.

What if I am on the Maaori role?

If you are enrolled as a parliamentary elector on the Maaori Roll you can stand in the East Ward by-election.

Your two nominators cannot be on the Maaori Roll, even if the live in the East Ward. Your nominators must be on the East Ward General Roll.

How long is the term of the elected member?

Normally a Council term is three years.

Because this is a by-election the successful candidate will be in office for a bit under two years. This is because the next local government elections are in October 2025.

Can I withdraw my nomination as a candidate?

Only if it is withdrawn before the close of nominations.

You cannot withdraw voluntarily after nominations have closed. If you decide to opt out, your name will still appear on the voting document. If you do change your mind and decide not to run for election after you have been nominated, email elections@hcc.govt.nz or phone the Deputy Electoral Officer on 07 838 6439 to talk through the options with you.

However, if you become incapacitated with serious illness or injury and unlikely to be able to perform the functions and duties if elected to office, you can apply to withdraw on those grounds. You will need verification from a doctor and lawyer about your situation. Email elections@hcc.govt.nz or phone the Deputy Electoral Officer on 07 838 6439 to talk through the options with you.

How much will it cost me to stand?

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

The funds must be deposited with the Electoral Officer at the same time your nomination is submitted. It is recommended you pay the nomination deposit by online/internet banking (or EFTPOS or cash). Cheques are no longer accepted.

If you poll more than 25% of the final quota as determined by the last iteration (for STV) you will receive your nomination deposit back.

How much will I get paid?

Pay and allowances are determined by the Government’s Remuneration Authority, who set a minimum salary amount. The salary pool varies according to population size and other factors.

Elected Members with no additional duties current remuneration is $81,869. Those with additional responsibilities, such as Chairs and Deputy Chairs, receive additional remuneration.

There is also an Elected Members Support Policy which outlines what expenses Elected Members can be reimbursed for, childcare allowances and professional development. You can read that Policy here.

What is a candidate profile statement?

You can provide a candidate profile statement when you lodge your nomination. This is a statement of up to 150 words containing information about yourself, your policies and intentions if elected to office. The profile statement will be included in the voting packs that all electors receive.

If your candidate statement is submitted in Maaori and English, the information contained in each language must be substantially consistent with the information contained in the other language. Each language has to be within the 150-word limit.

Your profile statement must be true and accurate. The Electoral Officer is not required to verify or investigate any information included in your statement.

Your profile can include a recent passport size colour photograph.

In addition, your candidate profile statement must state whether or not your principal place of residence is in the area you are seeking election, e.g., ‘My principal place of residence is in the Lambton Ward’, or ‘My principal place of residence is not in the Lambton Ward’. This is not part of the 150-word limit.

See section 61 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 for more information.

Can I be affiliated with an organisation or group?

Yes, if you belong to a political party or other group, you may want to identify with them. However, you don’t have to have any affiliations. If this is your situation, you can identify as, ‘independent’ or leave the space blank when you fill out your nomination form.

If you do have a specific affiliation, the electoral officer may require a letter of consent from the party, organisation or group giving its consent for you to use the affiliation.

Can I view the electoral roll?

Yes.

The electoral roll will be open for public inspection at your council’s offices and libraries from 24 November 2023 to 22 December 2023.

Election rules and principles

All local government elections are required to be conducted strictly following legislation. The key legislation that needs to be followed is:  

Once elected as a Councillor, you will need to have a sound understanding of your obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Councils are also governed by several other Acts of Parliament, such as the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, Resource Management Act, and Building Act 2004.

In making decisions under the Local Electoral Act 2001 or any other enactment, Council, electoral officers, and other electoral officials must consider these principles:  

  • fair and effective representation for individuals and communities 
  • representative and substantial electoral participation in local elections and polls.  
  • all qualified persons have a reasonable and equal opportunity to:  
    • cast an informed vote 
    • nominate one or more candidates 
    • accept nomination as a candidate.  
  • public confidence in, and public understanding of, local electoral processes through:  
    • the provision of a regular election cycle 
    • the provision of elections that are managed independently from the elected body 
    • protection of the freedom of choice of voters and the secrecy of the vote 
    • the provision of transparent electoral systems and voting methods and the adoption of procedures that produce certainty in electoral outcomes 
    • the provision of impartial mechanisms for resolving disputed elections and polls. 

Your campaign

When is the campaign period?

Election campaigning can start at any time and continue up to and including election day. You will need to understand the different requirements around physical signage that are contained in our District Plan rules, and the requirements for authorisation statements on all election advertising.

Authorisation statements

Election advertising, using any media, must show an authorisation statement setting out the true name and contact details of the person or persons for whom or at whose direction it is published [Section 113, Local Electoral Act 2001]. This includes election advertising on signs, in newspapers, on flyers and posters, on a vehicle and on election websites.

Contact details can be one or more of the following:

  • a residential or business address;
  • an email address;
  • a post office box number;
  • a phone number; or
  • a link to a page on an Internet site, if the page contains one or more of the contact details specified above.

You should note that these requirements reflect a recent change to the Local Electoral Act 2001, more information on these changes can be found here.

Election material cannot contain:

  • any untrue statement defamatory of any candidate (e.g. under the Defamation Act 1992)
  • an imitation voting document with names of the candidates and any direction or indication on how a person should vote, or that is likely to influence the voter.

Campaign Signage

Physical election signs are permitted on private property only, (with the landowner’s consent) within three months preceding election day (25 November 2023) but must be removed by midnight, 16 February 2024.

Election signs are not permitted on any Council property, including road reserve, parks or places controlled by the council.

The maximum number of signs permitted is on a ‘per site’ basis, not for each candidate (including other non-election temporary signs). Two signs are permitted per site, or two signs per frontage in the case of a corner site.

It’s important that you and your campaign team understand the rules for physical election signage, and make sure any property owners are compliance. Under the District Plan rules and Resource Management legislation, is the responsibility for compliance and payment of any infringement fines sits with the property owner.

Any questions or feedback on campaign signage should be sent to elections@hcc.govt.nz.

 

Residential zones

Signs may be up to 3m2

Business and industrial zones

Signs may be up to 6m2

Signs on corner properties

Are there any rules about using social media?

Yes.

Social media can be a useful tool for candidates for campaigning purposes and electioneering. You should be aware of Council social media guidelines and should comply with these at all times.

Council’s social media channels are council resources and must always remain politically neutral.

Council will promote elections and the importance of voting but will not associate these posts with any candidates.

Council social media accounts will not follow any candidates. This may result in your account being unfollowed.

Council’s social media accounts are not permitted to be used as a communications channel by anyone (candidates or members of the public) for promotion, electioneering or campaigning. This also applies to all social media accounts owned by council-controlled organisations.

Candidates should not post on council’s social media channels, nor should they comment on, share or otherwise use council social media channels for electioneering. You may not rate, review, check-in or tag the council’s social media channels in your own posts or comments.

Council’s social media accounts are constantly monitored, and any campaign related or electioneering content, (including posts related to nominations and candidacy), will be removed immediately.

All election advertising, using any media, including on social media, must show an authorisation statement.

Can I help people vote or collect their voting documents to send in?

No.

Candidates or their assistants should not collect voting documents from electors. Each elector should post or deliver their own voting document to the Electoral Officer.

It is an offence (carrying a fine of up to $5,000 if convicted) to interfere in any way with an elector with the intention of influencing or advising the elector as to how he or she should vote. Candidates and their assistants should be mindful of this particularly if campaigning occurs in facilities such as rest homes or hospitals.

Use of council resources

You and/or your supporters cannot use Council resources for campaigning purposes.

Council resources include, but are not limited to, the council’s logo, crest or branding, website, Facebook page, Twitter account, any other forms of social media, tablets, computers, iPads, email, mobile phones, faxes, stationery, photocopiers, printers, stamps, cars, meeting rooms and venues (except those available for public hire at the normal rates).

This applies to sitting members, council staff and other candidates, in any context that could be considered as campaigning for elections.

Electoral expenses

There is a limit to how much you can spend on your campaign, and this includes donations and joint campaigning. The maximum amount spent must not exceed the limits set out below:  

Ward   

Population

source: Statistics New Zealand as at 30 June 2021

Expenditure Limit

East General Ward   

83,300   

$50,000   

 

The period for which campaign expenditure limits apply is three months before election day (i.e.  25 November 2023 to 17 February 2024). However, legislation further specifies that all expenses incurred before the three-month period for campaign expenditure and used during the three-month period, must be fairly apportioned and included in the Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses.  Where an electoral expense relates to more than one candidate, an equitable apportionment between candidates is required. Nomination deposits, voluntary labour and election sign framework are not electoral expenses and therefore do not need to be included in the Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses.

Candidate donations

A candidate donation is a donation of money, goods or services that is made for use in the candidate’s campaign. Candidate donations, and contributions to donations, of more than $1,500 (including GST) must be declared in the candidate return of donations and expenses. A series of donations made by one person that adds up to more than $1,500 must also be declared.

A candidate donation includes:

  • where a candidate is provided with goods or services free of charge that have a reasonable market value greater than $300
  • where a candidate is provided with discounted goods or services and the reasonable market value of the goods or services is greater than $300, the difference between the contract or agreed price and the reasonable market value of those goods and services is a donation
  • where a candidate sells over-valued goods or services the difference between the price paid and the reasonable market value is a donation, for example a fundraising auction or dinner.

The following are not deemed a donation:

  • volunteer labour
  • goods or services provided free of charge to a candidate, or to any person on the candidate’s behalf that have a reasonable market value of $300 or less
  • money provided by the candidate for their own campaign.

If a person or organisation gives or pays for goods or services that would otherwise be candidate election expenses, the reasonable market value of those items, whatever their value, should be recorded as an election expense. If the reasonable market value of the items exceeds $300 it should also be recorded as a donation.

Donations made up of contributions

Donations to candidates can be made up of pooled funds contributed by more than one person (referred to as donations funded from contributions). These types of donations include, for example, campaign donations made through a trust, or where there is a fundraising collection for your campaign. The total proceeds of a collection are treated as a donation. The person who collects the money will normally be the donor. The individuals who contribute to the collection are contributors.

If a donation, other than an anonymous donation, is made up of contributions, the transmitter or donor must tell the candidate:

  • the name and address of the donor
  • whether the donation is made up of contributions
  • the total amount of individual contributions of $1,500 or less
  • in the case of individual contributions greater than $1,500, the name, address, and contribution of each contributor.

If you know, or have reasonable grounds to believe, that the donor has failed to supply information about contributions, the whole donation must be returned to the donor.

Transmitted donations

A donation can be made either directly by the donor to you or indirectly by a transmitter who transmits a donation to you on someone else’s behalf, for example via a lawyer’s trust fund. Any person who receives a candidate donation on your behalf must transmit it to you within 10 working days.

When transmitting a donation, the transmitter must tell the candidate:

  • that the donation is being transmitted on behalf of a donor
  • the name and address of the donor
  • whether the donation is made up of contributions
  • the total amount of contributions of $1,500 or less
  • in the case of contributions greater than $1,500, the name, address, and contribution of each contributor.

Where a transmitter does not disclose the name and address of the donor, the donation must be treated as an anonymous donation.

Anonymous donations

You are not permitted to retain anonymous donations exceeding $1,500. An anonymous donation is a donation made in such a way that the candidate who receives the donation does not know the identity of the donor and could not, in the circumstances, reasonably be expected to know the identity of the donor. If you receive an anonymous donation greater than $1,500, you may retain $1,500 of that donation. The balance of the donation must, within 20 working days of receipt, be paid to the electoral officer for payment into the general fund of the local authority.

Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses

You must record of all donations received and expenses incurred in your election campaign. Every candidate must, by law, complete an Electoral donations and Expenses Return declaring all donations and expenses and forwarded to the electoral office by Friday 12 April 2024. The information here is of a general nature. You should also refer to Part 5 – Electoral Donations and Expenses of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

A Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses form must be supplied to the electoral officer within 55 days after the official declaration (by 12 April 2024). This can be supplied to the electoral officer within 76 days after the official declaration if you are overseas when successful candidates are declared elected.

The Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses must set out:

  • the details of every electoral donation received by the candidate that, either on its own or when aggregated with all other
  • donations made by or on behalf of the same donor for use in the same campaign, exceeds $1,500 in sum or value
  • the details in respect of every anonymous electoral donation received by the candidate that exceeds $1,500
  • details of the candidate’s electoral expenses.

The details of every electoral donation are:

  • the name of the donor
  • the address of the donor
  • the amount of the donation or in the case of aggregated donations, the total amount of the donations
  • the date the donation was received or, in the case of aggregated donations, the date that each donation was received.

The details of every anonymous donation exceeding $1,500 are:

  • the date the donation was received
  • the amount of the donation
  • the amount paid to the electoral officer and the date the payment was made.

With respect to electoral expenses, the return must set out separately the name and description of every person or body of persons to whom or which any sum was paid, and the reason for which it was paid. Sums more than $200 (GST inclusive) must be vouched by an invoice or a bill and a receipt.

You should retain all invoices and receipts relating to electoral expenses should these be required in the event of a challenge. They should not be submitted with the return.

Once the Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses forms have been received by the electoral officer they become public documents and are to be kept for a public inspection period of seven years. During this period, the returns:

  • are placed on council’s website
  • can be inspected by any person
  • copies can be made available if requested.

This is a requirement under section 112F of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

What does Election Day look like?

Voting documents, including special votes, should not be collected from electors by you or your assistants. Each elector should post or deliver their own voting document to the electoral officer. This also applies to rest homes and hospitals - voting documents should not be collected from elderly or infirm electors by you or your assistants.

16 February

Appointment of scrutineers

You can appoint scrutineers to observe certain functions of the election. Appointment of scrutineers must be made by noon, Friday 16 February 2024. These functions are:  

  • the scrutiny of the roll 
  • the preliminary count (after the close of voting) 
  • the official count.  


You can appoint one or more scrutineers for each of the above functions, but only one scrutineer for each candidate may be present at any one time. A scrutineer cannot be:  

  • a candidate 
  • a member or employee of any local authority or community board for which an election is being conducted 
  • under 18 years old.  


Each scrutineer must be appointed by a candidate in writing to the electoral officer. The letter of appointment must be received by the electoral officer no later than noon Friday 16 February 2024 (Section 68, Local Electoral Act 2001). A standard letter for the appointment of a scrutineer can be found here. 

Each appointed scrutineer must report initially to the electoral officer or deputy electoral officer, where a declaration pledging not to disclose any information coming to their knowledge, will need to be signed and a name tag issued. Any scrutineer may leave or re-enter the place where election functions are being conducted, but it is an offence (and liable for a fine) to:  

  • make known for what candidate any voter has voted 
  • make known the state of the election, or give or pretend to give any information by which the state of the election may be known, before the close of voting.  
17 February

Election Day

Voting closes at noon on Saturday 17 February 2024 at the electoral office.

After voting closes, the preliminary count of votes will start and special vote declarations are forwarded to Registrars of Electors for verification.

The official count of votes will be undertaken once the preliminary count is done, and the final result will be known on Monday 19 February 2024. The official count will also occur at the electoral office.

17 February

Progress results

The counting of votes will begin from noon Saturday 17 February 2024 at the offices of Independent Election Services Ltd, Level 2, 198 Federal Street, Auckland.  Progress results will be shared as soon as possible after voting closes. These are likely to reflect approximately 92% of the votes cast. Each candidate will be phoned by Hamilton City Council electoral staff prior to the progress results being placed on the website. Once all sealed ballot boxes have been received, these will be processed and included to form the preliminary results.  

18 February

Preliminary results

Preliminary results will be available once all votes that are hand-delivered on election morning have been received and processed. This is expected to be on Sunday morning 18 February 2024.  

Both progress and preliminary results will be available:  

  • by accessing council’s website hamilton.govt.nz  
  • by phoning the electoral office on 0800 922 822.  
19 February

Final results

Once all special votes have been validated by the Electoral Commission, a final result will be announced. This is expected late afternoon on Monday 19 February 2024.

20 February

Swearing in

If everything goes well then the swearing ceremony will be ahead of the Council meeting on 20 February 2024

About our Council

What does, ‘at large’, ‘ward’ and ‘constituency’ mean?

If you are standing ‘at large’, then you are standing for the whole council area rather than from its wards.

If you are standing for a ‘ward’ these are parts of a council area that have been determined by population and communities of interest. These can be either general wards or Maaori wards.

STV - Our voting system

Standing for Council under STV

Hamilton uses the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) system.

To get elected, you’ll need to get a certain number of votes – called a quota. Voters will rank candidates – 1,2,3 etc. There are a few important things to note about this:

If you are someone’s second choice, you could still get part of their vote.

If their first choice reaches the quota, part of the individual’s vote may be redistributed to their second choice (you!).

If their first choice does not reach the quota and is eliminated, you as their second choice get a portion of their vote.

The transfer of votes is done in order of voters' preferences. This means that surplus votes are not "wasted" but are available to help other candidates to get elected.

STV Thmb v2

Contact us

Electoral Officer

09 973 5212

 

Hamilton City Governance Team

07 838 6699
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Last updated 27 November 2023