The 2019 Auckland local elections website is now live.

Voteauckland.co.nz is a “one stop” destination for candidates and voters.

It has information about how to vote, why people should vote, and how Auckland Council works.

Resources are available in New Zealand Sign Language and will soon be offered in Samoan, Simplified Chinese and te reo Māori.

Auckland Council General Manager Democracy Services, Marguerite Delbet, says the website aims to “facilitate participation in local democracy by removing as many barriers as possible”.

“We live in one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world, so we need to make sure all Aucklanders have the information they need to get involved and make informed decisions.”

Candidates can access a range of resources, including information about how nominations work, how to campaign, and the roles, responsibilities and remuneration of elected members.

Nominees must be New Zealand citizens aged 18 years or older and enrolled on the New Zealand electoral roll.

Nomination forms will be available on the website when the nomination period opens on July 19 until it closes on August 16.

Marguerite Delbet says one of the main reasons people don’t vote is because they don’t know enough about the candidates.

To address this, information about the candidates will be available on the website after they are officially announced on August 21.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for voters to learn about the candidates in their area.

“As well as the information available in voting packs, voteauckland will give candidates the opportunity to explain why they chose to stand, the issues they’re passionate about and how they intend to make a difference.”

Closer to the election, voters will be able to type their address into the website to find their local board, ward, district health board, and whether or not there’s a licensing trust in their area. They’ll also be able to search for their closest post box to return their voting papers.

Minister of Local Government, Nanaia Mahuta, is encouraging Aucklanders to help shape their region.

“Our local leaders shape our communities. Every three years we get to choose our representatives through local elections.

“We need to support candidates to stand and voters to make informed decisions so that our locally elected members represent our communities’ interests.”

The voteauckland website also contains a list of key election dates, to make sure candidates and voters don’t miss any crucial deadlines.

Key Dates

1 July - Electoral Commission enrolment campaign starts

19 July - Candidate nominations open

16 August - Candidate nominations close at noon / Electoral roll closes

21 August - Candidates announced

20 September - Voting opens

8 October - Last day to post voting papers (ballot boxes will still be open)

12 October - Voting closes at noon

17 October to 23 October - Official results announced

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