Elections
Candidates
To see what constituency you are in and who is standing in your area, enter your address in our Southland Constituencies Boundaries' map. If you are using Internet Explorer, please use this map.
Nominations for candidates were open from Friday 19 July 2019 to noon, Friday 16 August 2019.
The official candidates' list can be found on our Candidates page.
Electoral roll
Those eligible to vote in the election are all resident electors and non-resident ratepayer electors whose names appear on the electoral roll when it closes on Friday 16 August 2019. The Preliminary Electoral Roll will be available for public inspection from Friday 19 July 2019 to Friday 16 August 2019 at the respective territorial authority offices and libraries within their districts.
Resident Roll: All parliamentary electors, including those on the Māori Electoral Roll, are automatically enrolled on the Resident Roll, at the address where they live. Any alterations to the Resident Roll (eg change of address details, including new postal addresses) should be made by:
- completing the appropriate form at any post shop;
- phoning 0800 ENROLNOW (0800 367 656)
- accessing the Electoral Commission website on www.elections.org.nz
Ratepayer Roll: If a person is on the parliamentary roll in one area and pays rates on a property in another area, this person may be eligible to be enrolled on the non-resident ratepayer roll. A firm, company, corporation or society paying rates on a property may nominate one of its members or officers as a ratepayer elector (provided the nominated person resides outside the area). Ratepayer Roll enrolment forms are available at respective constituent territorial authority offices, websites or by phoning the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
If you are not enrolled to vote by Friday 16 August, you can cast a special vote.
To cast a special vote you will need to:
- Submit your completed enrolment form to the appropriate Registrar of Electors (for the Parliamentary and Unpublished Electoral Rolls) or to Dale Ofsoski, Electoral Officer (for the Ratepayer Roll) by 11 October 2019 and
- Apply to the Electoral Officer at the city or district council in the area in which you live (or the area in which you pay rates if you are applying as a ratepayer elector) for a special vote and ensure that your completed vote is in the hands of the city or district council for which you are voting by 12 noon on 12 October 2019.
Key Dates
| 19 July | Electoral roll open for inspection |
| 19 July | Candidate nominations open |
| 16 August (12 noon) | Candidate nominations close and electoral roll closes |
| 21 August | Public notice of candidates' names |
| 20 - 25 September | Voting documents delivered |
| 16 Sept - 8 October | Special voting period |
| 20 Sept - 12 October | Scrutiny and early processing |
| 12 October | Voting closes 12 noon |
| 12 (pm) - 17 October | Official count |
| 17 - 23 October | Declaration of results |
| 29 October | Councillor swearing-in ceremony |
| mid-December | Return of electoral donations & expenses form |
Electoral system
The first past the post (FPP) electoral system will be used for Environment Southland, Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council. For the Southern District Health Board, the single transferable voting (STV) electoral system will be used.
Voting period
Voting documents will be sent to all eligible electors, by post, from Friday 20 September 2019.
The voting period is three weeks (Friday 20 September 2019 to noon Saturday 12 October 2019). Electors may post their completed voting documents back to the respective electoral officer using the orange pre-paid envelope sent with their voting document. Polling places for the issuing of special voting documents and for the receiving of completed voting documents will be available from Friday 20 September 2019 to noon Saturday 12 October 2019 at:
- Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore;
- Invercargill City Council, 101 Esk Street, Invercargill;
- Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill.
To be counted, all completed voting documents must be in the hands of the respective electoral officer or an electoral official by noon Saturday 12 October 2019.
Progress results will be known early afternoon on Saturday 12 October 2019, and preliminary results will be known early on Sunday morning 13 October 2019. These will be accessible on this website.
Electoral officer
For further information regarding this election, please contact the electoral office:
Dale Ofsoske, Electoral Officer
Environment Southland
C/o PO Box 5135, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141
Email: info@electionservices.co.nz
Phone: 0800 922 822
