Keep an eye out for your local election voting papers being delivered from today.

You can vote by either posting your voting papers in any NZ Post or DX Mail postbox or dropping them into an orange voting bin, available in 15 locations around Marlborough - see www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/elections/2025-council-election/information-for-voters

Please post your papers by 7 October to allow time as voting closes on 11 October at midday.

Voters have a chance to meet the candidates standing in October’s local elections at a series of meetings:

• Thursday 11 September, 5pm - 7pm

Lansdowne Hub, 6B Lansdowne Street, Blenheim

(Marlborough Chamber of Commerce*)

• Monday 22 September, 10am and 7pm

Star of the Sea Catholic Parish, 61 Maxwell Road, Blenheim

(Grey Power Marlborough)

• Thursday 25 September, 2pm

Marina Cove, Picton

(Grey Power Marlborough)

*Those interested in attending the Chamber of Commerce event are asked to register online. You can do so via:www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/elections/2025-council-election/information-for-voters

In the Blenheim ward there are 16 candidate nominations for seven seats; in the Marlborough Sounds ward there are six for three seats.

Voters in the Wairau-Awatere Ward will only be voting for mayor - for which there are three candidates - and whether to retain the Marlborough Māori Ward in a referendum.

Only three nominations were received for the Wairau-Awatere Ward, so sitting councillors Scott Adams, Sally Arbuckle and Gerald Hope were elected unopposed. Likewise, in the Marlborough Māori Ward, Allanah Burgess was the only nomination so was elected unopposed.

Most candidates in this year’s local elections have participated in video interviews which are available to view on Council’s website. Go to: www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/elections/2025-council-election and click on Candidate Profiles.

If you’re on the electoral roll, you can vote. You can enrol if you’re 18 or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and have lived in New Zealand for more than one year continuously at some time in your life. You can enrol up until the Friday before the election, 10 October.

If unsure if you’re enrolled, go to https://vote.nz/ and follow the links to enrol or update online. Or you can call and ask for help on 0800 36 76 56.

Council has also published its 2025 Pre-Election Report which provides information for voters and candidates about Council’s finances, major projects and key challenges.

This can be viewed at www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/elections/2025-council-election/pre-election-report

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