Ratepayer Elector Enrolment

// bringing change

Hey!
You have a bach at the beach don't you?
Yes, I might be able to vote there too.

If you pay rates on a property in a voting area that differs from your residential address, you may qualify to vote in both areas during the local elections.

You must first be enrolled as a parliamentary elector at your residential address before you can enrol on the ratepayer roll.

Are you on the parliamentary roll?

Are you entitled to a ratepayer vote?

Contact us:
Independent Election Services Ltd
0800 922 822 | 09 973 5212 | [email protected]
Level 2A, 198 Federal Street, Auckland
Monday - Friday 8AM-5PM | Saturday and Sunday: Closed

If you are registered to vote on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (Māori or general), you are automatically enrolled to vote in your local council elections. Your name will appear on the Residential Roll at the address where you primarily live. Eligibility may include voting for the mayor, councillors, community/local board members (if applicable), regional council members and sometimes licensing trust members or a local poll. As long as you are enrolled on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll, your postal vote will arrive when it’s time to vote.
Use the “Residential Roll Check” button above to find out if you are enrolled at your current residential address.
Please note that this will take you out of our website to the Electoral Commission’s website (www.vote.nz).
If you pay rates on a property in another local council area or in another community/local board area within your local council area, you may be entitled to enrol on the non-resident Ratepayer Roll for that local council area or community/local board area. The Ratepayer Roll is designed for ratepayers who may live in one area and pay rates on a property in another area (e.g. holiday home, business property, investment property). This roll ensures that non-resident ratepayers are able to register and vote in the area where their other property is located. You can apply if:
  • Your name is on the district valuation roll and you pay rates in the council area; and
  • The address where you are registered as a Parliamentary elector is outside of that council area.
If multiple ratepayers are listed on the rates notice, or if the ratepayer is a company, business, trust, corporation or society, you must nominate one person who has an interest in the property and lives outside of the area to be the nominated ratepayer elector.
If you are registered to vote on the electoral roll, you are automatically enrolled to vote in the local authority triennial and by-elections. You will receive a postal vote when it’s time to vote.
You may also be eligible to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector in a council district, if:
  • You pay rates on a property other than the one you live at.
  • The rateable property is not in the same community as the one you already have a vote in.
Most properties in Aotearoa New Zealand, including Māori land, pay some rates to the local council to pay for the facilities etc. However, there are some exceptions to this (e.g. council, government or charitable-owned land) then the entity is not entitled to enrol on the Ratepayer Roll. Refer to the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 (part 1 of schedule 1) for more information.
The Unpublished Roll is a part of the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (Māori or general) where parliamentary electors do not wish their details (name and address) to be publicly available. For example, if having your information publicly on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll could threaten your personal safety, or that of your family, you can apply to be on the confidential Unpublished Roll.
You won’t be able to find your enrolment details or enrol online here if you are on the Unpublished Roll. If you are on the Unpublished Roll, you will need to apply for a special vote in order to vote.
To learn more about the Unpublished Roll and how to apply, call the Electoral Commission on 0800 36 76 56.
Māori wards (for local councils) and Māori constituencies (for regional councils) are established for some local authorities. These sit alongside general wards and general constituencies and the aim is to ensure Māori are represented in local government decision-making. Every elector who is Māori or of Māori descent may choose whether to enrol on the General Parliamentary Electoral Roll or the Māori Parliamentary Electoral Roll.
If you choose the Māori Roll, and your council has one or more Māori wards or constituencies, you will vote for the mayor and for the candidates standing in the respective Māori ward or constituency. You will not be able to vote for candidates standing for the respective general ward or constituency but will be able to still vote for the mayor and community/local boards (if applicable).
Similarly, those who enrol on the General Parliamentary Electoral Roll cannot vote for those candidates standing for the respective Māori ward or constituency.
You are eligible to enrol and vote in Aotearoa New Zealand parliamentary and local elections if you are aged 18 years or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and you’ve lived in Aotearoa New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in your life.
You’re not eligible to enrol and vote if any of the following statements are true:
  • you’re a New Zealand citizen but have not been in Aotearoa New Zealand within the last 3 years
  • you’re a permanent resident of Aotearoa New Zealand who has not been in New Zealand within the past 12 months
  • you have to leave Aotearoa New Zealand by a set date, such as a date on a student, work, or visitor permit
  • you’re serving a prison sentence of three years or more in an Aotearoa New Zealand prison
  • you’ve been in a psychiatric hospital for over three years after being charged with a criminal offence
  • you’ve been convicted of a corrupt practice and added to the Corrupt Practices List
For electoral purposes, you are a permanent resident if you’re in Aotearoa New Zealand legally and not required to leave within a specific time.