Vote

Why should I vote?

This is your chance to say who you want to represent you when making decisions for our region over the next three years. The people elected to Council will make many decisions on your behalf. They will set Greater Wellington Regional Council’s rates and decide how the community’s money should be spent to achieve a sustainable region.

Can I vote?

You can vote if you:

• Are recorded on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll as a resident in the Wellington Region, or
• Own a property in the Wellington Region but live outside the region (i.e you are a ratepayer elector), and are on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll (at the address where you live) and the Ratepayer Roll (in respect of the property you own in the Wellington region). 

If you are unsure whether you are enrolled or whether your details are correct, you can go to the Electoral Commission website. 

How voting works

If you have enrolled to vote and want to be part of shaping the Wellington Region’s future, find out more about:

• How the voting system works
• Who you are voting for

Voting documents, including a reply paid envelope will be sent to all eligible voters by post during September 2022. Votes needed to be returned by 12 noon on Saturday 8 October 2022.

Single Transferable Vote

Greater Wellington Regional Council uses the Single Transferable Voting (STV) electoral system.

Under STV voters receive a single (transferable) vote no matter whether there is one vacancy or several.  Voters rank candidates in order of preference. When votes are counted, all the first preferences are allocated first. To be elected a candidate must reach a “quota” of votes. The quota is based on the number of vacancies and the number of valid votes. A candidate who reaches the quota is elected. If there is more than one vacancy and a candidate gets more votes than the quota, then a proportion of each vote for that candidate is transferred to the voter’s second preference, and so on. 

If insufficient candidates meet the quota after first preferences are allocated and after any surplus votes are transferred , then the candidate who received the fewest votes is eliminated and each vote for that candidate is transferred to the voter’s second preference. This process is repeated until enough candidates reach the quota to fill all the vacancies.

For more information on the STV electoral system see Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs' website.