Voting and special voting

The details and profile statements for all candidates in local elections and by-elections are made available after the nominations close. This information will also be sent to electors with voting documents.

Christchurch City Council has two decision-making parts: the Council and Community Boards.

During the 2025 local elections, you can vote for:

• The Mayor
• A ward councillor
• Community board members for your local community board

Find your ward and community board.

The term for elected members is three years.

Council

The Council is made up of the Mayor and 16 councillors. It makes decisions important to Christchurch as a whole.

All Christchurch voters elect the Mayor, while councillors are elected by voters from the ward they represent.

Community Boards

The six community boards represent their individual areas and cover three wards, with the exception of the Banks Peninsula ward, which has its own community board.

Each community board in the city has nine members, elected by voters from the areas they represent. The Banks Peninsula community board has eight. Councillors are also appointed to the community board covering their ward.

Community boards make decisions on local issues, activities and facilities, and help build strong communities.

Environment Canterbury

Environment Canterbury also holds elections at the same time as us. Find out more.(external link)

There are many reasons you could cast a special vote in an election, including:

• Your name does not appear on the final electoral roll, but you qualify as an elector.
• You have chosen to put your name on the unpublished (confidential) roll.
• You have moved since the electoral roll was compiled (and have lived at your new residential address for one month or more).
• You spoiled, lost or did not receive your ordinary voting document.
• You will be away from your residential address during the voting period.
• You are eligible to vote for some positions in the elections as a ratepayer elector (for a property you own but do not live in).

Special voting documents are available to electors:

• Whose names do not appear on the final electoral roll, but who qualify as electors.
• Who have not received a voting document previously posted to them.
• Who spoils or damages a voting document previously posted to them.

Special voting documents will be available during normal opening hours Monday to Friday at a number of council customer service hubs from Tuesday 9 September until Friday 10 October 2025.

Some sites will also be open on Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October 2025 and on election day 11 October 2025 for the purpose of issuing special voting documents. You can also phone 03 941 8999 or email elections@ccc.govt.nz.

Special voting documents can be posted to electors. The completed voting paper must be returned to the electoral officer by post or in a vote bin by noon on election day.

Special voters must complete a statutory declaration. This is a legal requirement and a protection for electors against possible duplicate voting. If an elector requests a special vote and is not on the parliamentary roll, for example, they have just turned 18 years of age, the person must enrol by Friday 10 October.

An application for registration as a parliamentary elector may be obtained:

• Online at www.vote.nz(external link).
• Texting name and address to 3676 to get a form sent.
• Calling 0800 36 76 56 to get a form sent.
• Emailing enquiries@elections.govt.nz.
• From Council Libraries and Customer Service Hubs.

After voting closes, special vote declarations are forwarded to the Registrar of Electors for verification that the elector is eligible and has enrolled as a parliamentary elector.

Special voting documents cannot be collected by candidates or their assistants for distribution to electors.

On election day, Saturday 11 October, completed voting documents can be returned to all open Christchurch City Council libraries, recreation centres and other locations in the community, and Christchurch City Council Te Hononga Civic Offices, until noon.

How to return your completed voting paper

Post into any NZ Post or DX Mail postbox by Tuesday 7 October 2025 or drop your completed voting paper into any of the orange vote bins at the following locations: