Campaigning

There are not enough New Zealanders voting in local elections. There are many reasons for low levels of engagement – lack of knowledge of the work councils do, a perceived low ability to influence change, lack of competition between candidates, and lack of knowledge about the candidates and their views. Here are some things you can do to inform yourself on the matters of the regional council and to get votes.

• Attend a council or committee meeting.
• Talk to our electoral team about the role of councillor.
• Know what’s important to your community.
• Talk to people, connect with community groups, attend public meetings.
• Know what you stand for and be able to articulate it.

Candidate video profiles

We will be inviting all candidates for Waikato Regional Council local elections to film a candidate profile at our Hamilton office. Half hour bookings will be available on 4 and 5 August. 

Candidates will need to be ready to respond to four questions:

1. Why do you think you’d make an effective Waikato regional councillor?
2. In your view what’s the biggest challenge facing the region?
3. If you’re elected, how would you work with your fellow councillors to address this challenge?
4. Is there anything else you think voters should know about you?
    

Candidates will have 30 seconds to respond to each question. They will also have three opportunities to answer each question on camera. 

Our Elections team will be in contact with all candidates about scheduling an appointment and providing more information about this process.

Policy NZ profiles

Policy.nz will be gathering essential information about the candidates in New Zealand’s local elections 2025 for voters to compare and make an informed decision on who they will vote for. Once nominations have been confirmed, candidates will be contacted to answer questions about their background, motivations and priorities for a profile on Policy.nz under the respective constituencies for Waikato Regional Council.

Relevant forms and supporting information