General election year timetable

1. Ratepayer Electoral roll

Ratepayers who are resident and on the parliamentary roll at an address outside Nelson can apply to be on the ratepayer electoral roll.

Public notices are put out in winter to make people aware of their rights about the ratepayer electoral roll and a notice to all ratepayers is included with the first rates invoice of the financial year.

A campaign to ensure all eligible electors are on the roll also takes place in winter and a preliminary roll opens for checking at the same time that nominations are called for.

2. Nominations

Nominations for candidates for the position of Mayor, Councillors (12), and Nelson Marlborough District Health Board members (7) are open in late winter for four weeks.

3. Electoral roll

The electoral roll usually closes at the same time nominations close. This is the roll from which the addresses for the mail out of voting forms will be taken. Any person not enrolled at this time will not receive a paper in the mail and will have to do a special vote.

If you wish to be on the roll, or amend your information, you must complete an enrolment form, available from any Post Shop or Library.

Any person who considers themselves eligible to enrol as a non-residential ratepayer elector should contact the Electoral Office.

4. Final candidate list

The final notice of the election and the list of candidates is published around the last week of August.

5. Voting papers

Voting Papers are posted out to all electors mid- to late-September.

6. Special voting facilities

Special voting facilities are available in Civic house (floor 2B) and special voting is available for those electors who are late registering on the electoral roll and thereby miss out on having a voting paper posted out to them. Replacement voting papers are also available for those that may have lost or damaged their original voting papers or made a mistake completing them.

7. Voting papers

Voting papers must be returned no later than noon on Election Day.

8. Results

A preliminary result is available on the afternoon of Election Day and a final result is usually issued towards the end of the following week.