A by-election to fill the extraordinary vacancy for a community board position representing Akaroa on the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board will be held on Friday 12 June 2026.

Community Board extraordinary vacancy  

Nominations for this vacancy open on Thursday 5 March and close at 12 noon on Thursday 2 April 2026.

On 2 February 2026, Nigel Harrison, community board member for the Akaroa Community Subdivision of the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board, sadly passed away. 

This creates an extraordinary vacancy for the position on the community board. Local electoral legislation requires that if a vacancy arises on council or a community board more than twelve months before the next triennial election, an election must be held.

Nominations for the vacancy will open on Thursday 5 March and close at 12 noon on Thursday 2 April 2026.

If more than one nomination is received, an election will be conducted by postal vote. Voting will commence on Monday 11 May and close at noon on election day, Friday 12 June 2026. If only one nomination is received, a voting process will not be held. The candidate will be declared elected unopposed. 

For more information, see below or contact the elections team on 03 941 8581 or elections@ccc.govt.nz.

 By-election

Thursday 5 March 2026 Public notice of the by-election.
Nominations open.
Electoral roll opens.
Monday 9 March 2026 Election signage (hoardings) are permitted to be put up.
Thursday 2 April 2026 Nominations close at 12 noon.
Preliminary electoral roll closes.

If only one nomination is received, an election will not be held. The notice will declare the candidate elected unopposed.
As soon as practical after 2 April 2026 Further notice of election and candidate names.

 

If an election is required

Monday 11 May 2026 Delivery of voting documents commences.
Voting and special voting open.
Progressive roll scrutiny.
Early processing period starts.
Thursday 11 June 2026 Election signage must be removed by midnight.
Friday 12 June 2026 Election day.
Voting closes at 12 noon.
Progress results and preliminary results will be available as soon as practicable.
Monday 15 June 2026 Final declaration of results.
By Friday 7 August 2026 Candidate return of electoral donations and expenses form due.

Nomination forms

Nominations for the above position open on Thursday 5 March 2026, and must be made on the official nomination form. 

The nomination form and a candidate information sheet can be requested from Te Hononga Christchurch City Council Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street, Christchurch, downloaded below, or from the deputy electoral officer 03 941 8581 or by emailing elections@ccc.govt.nz.

Completed nomination documents must be received by the electoral officer no later than 12 noon on Thursday 2 April 2026.

Each nomination must be accompanied by a deposit of $200 including GST, payable by EFTPOS, cash or online banking. See nomination form for requirements.

Candidates are encouraged to also submit a candidate profile statement and a recent colour photograph. The requirements for the profile statement and photo are set out in the candidate information sheet, which all candidates should refer to. All nomination documents must be lodged together. 

Information for candidates

A full candidate handbook was produced for the 2025 local body elections. The handbook covers information for candidates, including a description of the roles of elected members, governance responsibilities, remuneration and the council structure, along with information about candidate eligibility, campaigning requirements and election offences.

You can view and download the Christchurch City Council Elections 2025 Candidate Handbook [PDF, 20 MB], or it is available on request from the deputy electoral officer on 03 941 8581 or elections@ccc.govt.nz.

Dates within the handbook relate to 2025, but all other information remains relevant. The candidate information sheet lists details and dates specific to this by-election.

Other information and resources for candidates are available online.

Use the interactive ward and community board map to find the Akaroa Subdivision boundaries. 

A preliminary roll for the by-election can be inspected during normal operating hours at the following locations from Thursday 5 March 2026 to Thursday 2 April 2026:

  • Te Hononga Christchurch City Council Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street, Christchurch.
  • Akaroa Customer Service Hub, 78 Rue Lavaud, Akaroa.
  • Akaroa Library, 2 Selwyn Avenue, Akaroa.

Residential electors may enrol or amend their enrolment details on the electoral roll by contacting the Electoral Commission:

Applications for registration as a ratepayer elector are to be made on the non-resident ratepayer elector enrolment form available from the Christchurch City Council Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street, Christchurch or from Ratepayer Enrolment Form [PDF, 35 KB] and must be returned to the electoral officer before 4pm on Thursday 2 April 2026.

Online applications for ratepayer elector registration can also be made through the non-resident ratepayer portal: electionz.com/ratepayers (external link)  
Updates to the preliminary electoral roll close at 4pm on Thursday 2 April 2026.

If a voting process is required to fill this vacancy, it will be conducted by postal voting using the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system. Candidate names will be listed in random order on the voting papers.

The voting papers will be mailed out to electors on Monday 11 May 2026, and voting will close at 12 noon on Friday 12 June 2026. The electoral officer for this by-election is Warwick Lampp, and the deputy electoral officer is Jo Daly. 

Contacts

Jo Daly and the elections team: 03 941 8581 or 027 236 9052 or elections@ccc.govt.nz.

Electoral Officer: 0800 666 048 or iro@electionz.com.