Vote
Why you should vote in the local elections
Make sure you have your say on issues affecting the Horowhenua District and your local community by voting in the 2022 local elections.
To make sure you receive your voting papers, check or update your postal address on the Vote NZ website.
Get to know the candidates in your area
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.
Candidate Profiles
Nominations for the 2022 Local Body Elections, for the Horowhenua District Council, closed at 12 noon on Friday 12 August with 28 candidates putting themselves up for election for 18 roles. The 2022 candidates are:
| Mayor |
JENNINGS, Sam (The Change We Need)
KAYE-SIMMONS, Victoria (Independent)
WANDEN, Bernie |
| Kere Kere General Ward |
ALLAN, David
BRANNIGAN, Ross
GIRLING, John
RUSSELL, Brett (Simply The Best) |
| Miranui General Ward |
KETU, Robert
OLSEN, Paul |
| Levin General Ward |
BARKER, Mike (Independent)
GRIMSTONE, Clint
JENNINGS, Sam (Standing Up For The Horowhenua)
KIRK, Athol (Independent)
MASOE, Jane
PITT, Veronica
TAHIWI, Kelly
TUKAPUA, Piri-Hira Josephine
VAN DEN BERG, Carl (To Serve My Community)
YOUNG, Alan
|
| Waiopehu General Ward |
AYLWARD, Barry
BOYLE, Rogan
PROCTER, Jonathan |
| Horowhenua Māori Ward |
HORI TE PA, Nina
O’CARROLL, Troy (Whakawehi Marae Trustees)
TAMIHANA, Justin
|
| Te Awahou Foxton Community Board |
CHAMBERS, Trevor
FOX, Nola (Working together for Foxton & Beach)
GIRLING, John
ROACHE, David
RUSSELL, Brett (Simply The Best)
SANSON, Lindsay
TAMIHANA, Justin |
Each Candidate for the 2022 Local Body Elections has prepared a candidate profile statement. This statement is the same as the one contained in the Pārongo me ngā Kōrero Kaitono | Information & Candidate Profiles booklet which will be supplied along with voting papers.
Both the Candidate profile statements and the booklet are available on our Candidates page.
Candidate Contact Information
To view nominations contact information visit www.electionz.com and search for Horowhenua District Council.
'Meet the Candidates' Events
Hosted by community organisations and businesses, these events are an opportunity for you to get to know the candidates for your area in the Local Election 2022.
The events have been brought to our attention by the organisations running them – it is not a full list of all events across the district and they are not hosted by Horowhenua District Council.
We encourage all organisers to contact ashleych@horowhenua.govt.nz to get your 'Meet the Candidates' event published.
View the 'Meet the Candidates' events
Get ready to vote
Local elections are held every three years. Voting opens in this local body election on Friday, 16 September 2022.
You can vote if you're enrolled as a voter with the Electoral Commission.
View our Enrol page for more information about the Electoral Commission and voting.
Where are the Ballot Boxes?
Ballot Boxes are available at the following locations:
- HDC Civic Building - 126 Oxford Street, Levin
- Levin New World - 21 Bath Street, Levin
- Levin Pak'n Save - 508 Queen Street East, Levin
- Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō - 10 Bath Street, Levin
- Te Whare Mahana - 32 Bristol Street, Levin (Note: This ballot box will be collected on Friday afternoon, 7 October)
- Horowhenua Learning Centre (HLC) - 102 Liverpool Street, Levin (Note: This ballot box will be collected on Friday afternoon, 7 October)
- Shannon Library - Plimmer Terrace, Shannon
- Foxton New World - Cnr Whyte Street & Main Street, Foxton
- Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom – 92 Main Street, Foxton.
Where and how to cast a special vote
If you haven't yet enrolled to vote, you enrolled after 12 August 2022, or your voting pack is damaged or lost, you will need to cast a special vote. There are a number of locations around Horowhenua where you can do this.
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 12 August 2022. 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 7 October 2022 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?
Special votes are available to people:
- whose names do not appear on the final electoral roll, but who qualify as electors
- who did not receive a voting pack posted to them
- who spoil or damage a voting document previously posted to them
- who will be travelling during the voting period (from 16 September to 12 noon on 8 October 2022).
How to request and cast a special vote
You can request and cast a special voting document from the following locations between 16 September and before 12 noon on Saturday 8 October 2022.
- HDC Civic Building – 126 Oxford Street, Levin (Monday to Friday, except Wednesdays, 9am to 5pm and Wednesdays 9.30am to 5pm)
- Te Whare Mahana - 32 Bristol Street, Levin (Mondays 10am-2pm)
- Shannon Library – Plimmer Terrace, Shannon (Tuesdays 10am-2pm)
- Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom – 92 Main Street, Foxton (Thursdays 10am-2pm).
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 ashleych@horowhenua.govt.nz or call 06 366 0999 and we can help.
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 (16 September to midday 8 October 2022), you can request a special voting pack to be posted to you on 16 September 2022.
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 on 16 September.
You must advise us of your overseas contact address before 16 September 2022.
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 ashleych@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.