Vote

Make sure you have your say on issues affecting the Horowhenua District and your local community by voting in the 2025 local elections.

Get to know the candidates in your area

Nominations for the 2025 Local Body Elections, for the Horowhenua District Council closed with 42 candidates putting themselves up for election for 18 roles.  The 2025 candidates can be viewed on our Candidate Profiles page.

View the Candidate Profiles

How do I vote?

Voting packs will be sent out in the mail to everyone who is enrolled from Tuesday 9 September 2025, and these should be received by 22 September.

Voting is done by post. To be counted, all votes must be received by midday, Saturday 11 October 2025.

Where to drop off your vote

You can post your vote at one of the street receivers (post boxes), which are available 24/7, or drop your vote at a ballot bin. A number of these voting boxes are kept inside businesses and can only be accessed during certain hours.  

Locations and opening hours for ballot bins

Ballot bin locations and opening hours are:

Levin
Location Address Hours
HDC Civic Building 126 Oxford Street Mon to Fri, from 9am to 5pm (Wed from 9:30am)
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō 10 Bath Street Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri from 9am to 5:30pm, Wed from 10am to 9pm, Sat from 10am to 3pm
Levin New World 21 Bath Street Everyday, from 7am to 9pm
Levin Pak'nSave Cnr Queen & Cambridge Street Everyday, from 8am to 7pm
Horowhenua Learning Centre 102 Liverpool Street Mon to Fri, from 8am to 4:30pm
Speldhurst Kimberley Road Mon to Fri, from 8:30am to 5pm
Foxton
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom
 92 Main Street Mon to Fri, from 9am to 4pm, Sat/Sun from 10am to 3pm
Foxton New World Cnr Whyte & Main Street Everyday, from 7am to 7pm
Shannon
Shannon 4 Square  70 Plimmer Terrace Mon to Fri, from 5:30am to 7:30pm, Sat/Sun from 7am to 7:30pm
Manakau
Manakau Market 1088 State Highway 1 Tue from 9am to 5pm, Wed to Sat from 9am to 7:30pm, Sun from 10am to 5pm

View the Ballot Bin and Street Receivers maps(PDF, 707KB)

Special voting

If you haven't enrolled by 1 August, or you're on the unlisted electoral roll for personal reasons, you may need to cast a special vote.

What is a special vote?

You can cast a special vote if you haven't received a voting pack in the mail, lost or damaged your voting pack, or enrolled to vote after 1 August 2025. A special vote pack consists of:

  • a special voting document
  • a special voting declaration
  • an envelope.

You should know

Although you can cast a special vote when you have not enrolled to vote, you'll have to enrol by Friday 10 October 2025 for your vote to be valid. You can enrol to vote:

To find out if you're already enrolled, or for more information on how to enrol, visit the Electoral Commission website.

Who can cast a special vote

You can cast a special vote if you:

  • haven’t received a voting pack in your letterbox by 12 September 2025
  • have lost or damaged your voting pack
  • haven't enrolled yet
  • enrolled or updated your address details after 1 August 2025
  • are eligible to vote but your name does not appear on the final electoral roll
  • are on the unpublished roll.

To cast a special vote, you must be enrolled and your details up to date by 10 October at the latest.

Where to cast a special vote

You can cast a special vote during the voting period from Tuesday 9 September 2025 until 12pm on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Levin – Horowhenua District Council

  • Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm (Wednesdays from 9:30am)
  • Extra dates:
    • Saturday 4 October, 10am to 3pm
    • Saturday 11 October, 9am to 12 noon

Foxton – Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom

  • Tuesday 16 September, 9am to 12pm
  • Thursday 25 September, 1pm to 4pm
  • Tuesday 30 September, 9am to 12pm
  • Thursday 2 October, 1pm to 4pm
  • Tuesday 7 October, 9am to 12pm

Shannon Library

  • Thursday 18 September, 3pm to 4:30pm
  • Wednesday 1 October, 3pm to 4:30pm

How to request and cast a special vote

If you can't make it to a special voting location, we can send your special vote papers to you. To request your papers, please call 06 366 0999.

Please ensure you make your request early in the voting period, so you have enough time to return your vote to the Electoral Officer by 12pm, 11 October 2025.

What to do if you're travelling overseas during the voting period

Current local electoral legislation, set up by Central Government, does not allow online or electronic voting, any forms of early voting outside of the voting period, or any voting on behalf of someone else.

If you're travelling outside of New Zealand during the voting period (9 September to midday 11 October 2025), you can request a special voting pack to be posted to you.

For us to do this, we'll need to know:

  • where you're registered on the electoral roll (your normal residential address)
  • the overseas contact address where you will be for the vote to arrive.

You must advise us of your overseas contact address before 16 September 2025 to allow time for postage.

If you can’t come into one of the voting sites to cast a special vote, then we can send the forms out to you. Email election@horowhenua.govt.nz or call 06 366 0999 and we can help. 

Why your vote is important

Democracy is at its best when voices of the people are heard.

It's important for voters to pay attention to local elections and to take the time to learn about the aspirations of candidates and their proposals.

There's no level of government in Aotearoa / New Zealand that is more directly involved in the day-to-day happenings within your local community, than your council.

The mayor, councillors and community board members make decisions that have an impact on many aspects of your life and your local community.

Vote to have a say on Horowhenua District’s future

Voting in the local elections is important if you want to have your say on what matters to you. We deliver many services to our communities across the Horowhenua District such as:

  • the rates you pay and the services and assets they pay for
  • the district's investment in infrastructure
  • what cultural, family and sporting events take place near you
  • play spaces for children in your local parks
  • visiting libraries, recreation centres and pools or hiring a community hall
  • rules around where you can walk your dog
  • the quality of water from your tap
  • town centre and local development and a thriving community
  • making it safer for cyclists and pedestrians around the district
  • a range of other services, checking buildings are built properly, restaurant health rules, alcohol licences and public grants.

The people you vote for will also decide on funding and maintenance of critical infrastructure that makes Horowhenua a great place to live. Your vote can make a difference.

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