Do you qualify to vote in the local body elections?

The local council and community boards are responsible for representing all ratepayers and residential electors. Local council makes decisions about the running of our district, including collecting rates, town planning, services like rubbish and our parks and libraries.

Thames Coromandel District property owners who don’t live permanently on the Coromandel Peninsula, may also qualify to vote in the upcoming local elections. Council has sent letters to non-resident ratepayers who voted in the previous election asking them to confirm their details and establish eligibility for the 2022 election. 

For residents who  think that they may qualify to vote, but haven’t received a letter can apply by completing an electronic form available on the TCDC website. Enrolments should be made before 12 August, otherwise voting papers won’t be sent in the mail and you'll have to request special voting papers from the council’s electoral officer.

The elections will be held by a postal vote. Voting information will be sent in the mail in mid September with voting closing at 12 noon on Saturday 8 October 2022. The final results are due to be announced the week of the 14th October 2022. 

Wherever you pay rates you can vote

There are two types of electors, resident and ratepayers. You can only enrol once in a council district, no matter how many properties you own. 

Those that collectively pay rates on a property in the area, such as companies, trusts, corporations, joint tenants etc. may nominate a person to vote as long as both the nominee and nominator are registered as Parliamentary electors outside of the council district. 

Types of Electors 

Residential Electors – If you are registered to vote on the electoral roll, you are automatically enrolled to vote in local authority elections. You will receive a voting document so that you can vote by post.

Ratepayer Electors – You may also be eligible to enrol as a non-resident ratepayer elector in a council district if both of these apply:

• you are on the district valuation roll and pay rates in the council district
• the address where you are registered as a Parliamentary elector is outside that council district.

Your eligibility to enrol or be nominated as a ratepayer elector may also depend on your individual circumstances as determined by criteria in the Local Electoral Act 2001 and its regulations.

Who are you voting for?

The elections are for the following positions in the Thames Coromandel District.

• Mayor
• Nine Councillors, including 3 for the Mercury Bay Ward
• 20 Community Board Members, including four for the Mercury Bay Community Board
• Two Waikato Regional Council Members.

As candidates are nominated the TCDC will update their online Election Candidates 2022 list with the names of nominees. Nominations close for candidates at noon on August 12th and will be announced on 17 August 2022.

For more information on the 2022 local body elections see the TCDC website.