4 August 2016

Don’t wait to get your nominations in

Passionate Wellingtonians have expressed interest in standing for Council but Wellington City Council is still looking for more nominations.

Prospective candidates have just a week to lodge their nominations, which close 12 noon, Friday 12 August.

Waiting until the last minute is probably not a great idea, says Wellington City Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp.

“There is always a flurry of last-minute nominations. When a nomination is submitted, our officers go through all details and check if any entries need corrections,” says Lampp. “Leaving the process until the end is risky as the deadline for all nominations including any corrections remains the same.”

If there is something wrong with the nomination and there is not enough time to fix it, then a candidate runs the risk of the nomination not being accepted.

So far the following nominations have been received: Mayor 3, city councillors 7, Makara-Ohariu Community Board 0, Tawa Community Board 1, Capital and Coast District Health Board 2.

The nominations received so far are available on the Council’s website – wellington.govt.nz/elections-candidates

The Wellington City Electoral Officer handles nominations for the Mayor, City Councillors, Tawa Community Board, Makara-Ohariu Community Board and Capital & Coast District Health Board.

Candidates of all ethnicities and backgrounds are encouraged to stand for Council. The criteria to stand for elections is minimal – prospective candidates must be New Zealand citizens on the electoral roll and over 18 years of age. A candidate can’t nominate themselves; two people who are enrolled in the area or ward the candidate wants to stand in must nominate them.

Warwick Lampp says: “In the past, we have had cases where nominators didn’t feature on the electoral roll, which led to delays in the process. That’s why we insist that candidates don’t leave it until the last minute.”

Friday 12 August is also the final day for people to enrol if they want to make sure they get their voting papers by post. If you’re not enrolled by5pm that day, you’ll need to contact the Electoral Officer for special voting papers when voting begins. If you want to check you’re on the preliminary roll of electors, phone the Electoral Commission on 0800 367656 or check your details online at elections.org.nz

More information about the elections is available on the Council’s website –wellington.govt.nz/elections

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