Standing for Porirua City Council

Who can be a candidate

There are no special qualifications needed to be a candidate. To be a candidate you need to be:

• over 18 years old
• a New Zealand citizen
• enrolled to vote

How to become a candidate

Nominations to be a candidate will open on Friday 4 July 2025. The nomination forms will be made available online, at the Council’s administration building, and at our libraries.

To stand as a candidate:

1. Decide on the role(s) you're running for (mayor or councillor).
2. Find two people in enrolled to vote, in the ward you want to run in, to nominate you.
3. Fill out the nomination form and return it before 12pm, Friday 1 August 2025.
4. Pay a $200 deposit per role you’re standing for.

Roles to run for

Find out more about what roles you can stand for in Porirua City at the local elections.

Information for candidates

All the info you need to know about how to stand for local elections.

Running for Council

The next stage is campaigning, you can use social media, advertise in newspapers or on billboards, hold meetings with your community to spread the word about your candidacy and attend meet the candidate events.

You should find out what is important to your local community and learn about Porirua’s local government structure and the role of mayor and councillors.

Getting votes

One of the main reasons people do not vote in local election is that they do not know enough about the candidates and their views. To run a successful campaign, you need to let your community know the key issues you support.

Tips for connecting with people:

• use social media channels like Facebook or Instagram for wider reach
• door-knock, attend public meetings and talk to the public in shopping malls or at weekend markets
• look for interview opportunities on the radio, in local newspapers or in magazines
• advertise your views in newspapers or on billboards.

Being an elected member

Find out more about what it takes to be mayor or a councillor.

Learn Ako｜ Stand E tū ｜ Vote Pōti