Our democracy works better when all our communities are involved. You can take part in several ways.
Have your say by voting
If you’re enrolled to vote, you get to have a say in general elections, local elections and referendums. Every vote is counted and that means your vote matters. Elections are your chance to have a say about who represents you on the issues that you care about.
It’s easy to enrol and vote.
Enrol, check, or update your details now
Help your community have a say
You can help your community by encouraging them to enrol and educating them about what’s involved with voting. The more people that participate in our democracy, the stronger it will be.
Get posters and brochures for your community
Work in elections
Year round, we employ people in various roles with different focus areas. Areas such as community engagement, policy and advice, project management, team leadership, and office administration. Casual roles come up regularly, especially for data entry.
Get involved with a political party or start one
Every party operates differently, so if you want to get involved, contact the party you’re interested in to find out how you can take part. You may be able to become a member, volunteer your time or make a donation.
Find contacts in the Register of political parties
Parties can be unregistered or registered. However, only registered parties can contest the party vote in a general election.
Interested in starting a political party?
Guidance and rules for starting a political party
Become a candidate
For a chance to represent your community in government, you can become a candidate in a general election. You need to be selected and then nominated by the political party you belong to, or you can stand as an independent electorate candidate.
If you want to stand as an independent candidate, you need to be:
- a New Zealand citizen
- enrolled on the general or Māori roll
- nominated by two people who are enrolled in the electorate you wish to stand in.
Guidance and rules for candidates
If you want to stand as a candidate in a local election, contact your local council about their candidate and nomination rules.
List of council maps and websites - Local Government New Zealand
Start a petition or have your say on our laws
There are lots of ways you can get involved in New Zealand’s democratic process. If you feel strongly about an issue, you might want to:
- start or sign a petition
- seek a referendum
- make a submission to a select committee on a law before Parliament.
The New Zealand Parliament website has useful information on ways you can have your say.
Have your say - New Zealand Parliament