Local Electoral Act 2001

Representation arrangements for elections of territorial authorities, regional councils, local boards, and community boards

19C: Basis of election of members of territorial authority

You could also call this:

"How Members of Council are Elected"

Illustration for Local Electoral Act 2001

You can divide a district into smaller areas called wards for voting purposes. If a district is divided into wards, some members are elected by the whole district, and others are elected by each ward. Each ward must have at least one member elected to the territorial authority. You elect members of the territorial authority in different ways depending on whether the district is divided into wards or not. If the district is not divided into wards, all members are elected by the whole district. If the district is divided into wards, members representing a ward are elected by the people living in that ward. You can find more information about this by looking at the Local Electoral Act and the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2002.

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This page was last updated on 26 November 2025

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Topics:

Government and voting > ElectionsGovernment and voting > Local councils

19B: Basis of election of mayor of territorial authority, or

"How the Mayor of a District is Elected"

19D: Membership of regional councils, or

"Who can be on a regional council"

Part 1ARepresentation arrangements for elections of territorial authorities, regional councils, local boards, and community boards

19CBasis of election of members of territorial authority

A district of a territorial authority may be divided into wards for electoral purposes.
If a district is divided into wards, some of the members of the territorial authority may be elected by the electors of the district as a whole, but, in that case, the other members of the territorial authority must be elected by the electors of each ward of the district.
Each ward must elect at least 1 member of the territorial authority.
If a district is not divided into wards, the members of the territorial authority must be elected by the electors of the district as a whole.
If a district is divided into wards, each member of the territorial authority representing a ward must be elected by the electors of that ward.

Compare

1974 No 66 ss 101D(1), (3), 101E(1), (3), (4)

Notes

Section 19C: inserted, on 25 December 2002, by section 6 of the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 85).