Information for candidates

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula have 16 wards and six community boards, each representing a different area around the city.

Map of ward and community board areas.

2025 local election resources will be available in early 2025 and the Council will hold candidate information sessions from May to June 2025.

The resources below were prepared for the 2022 local elections and reference 2022 dates, but other information remains relevant and is useful for people considering standing.

• 2022 candidate information booklet [PDF, 10 MB]
• 2022 nominations and candidate profile fact sheet [PDF, 289 KB]
• 2022 candidate information fact sheet [PDF, 50 KB]
• 2022 candidate social media guidelines [PDF, 41 KB]
• 2022 candidate information session presentation [PDF, 1.1 MB]

There is useful candidate guidance available from Local Government New Zealand(external link),

If you have any questions, please contact the Electoral Officer on 03 941 8581 or at elections@ccc.govt.nz.

Before you start your campaign, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

All candidates should refer to the candidate information booklet [PDF, 10 MB] or the candidate information sheet [PDF, 50 KB]. 

All election advertising, using any medium including social media, must identify the person under whose authority they have been produced, as per section 113 of the Local Electoral Act 2001. This requires an authorisation statement, clearly visible on any and all campaigning material setting out:

• The true name of the person, persons or organisation at whose direction the signage has been erected.
• The contact details for that person/organisation:
  • a residential or business address; or
  • an email address; or
  • a post office box number; or
  • a phone number; or
  • a link to an internet site (if the page contains one or more of the above).

Election campaigning within the rules can start at any time but should cease by the close of voting, noon on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Election signage is permitted within certain rules from nine weeks from the start of an election or by-election. For the 2025 elections, this is from Monday 8 July 2025. Signage must be removed by midnight on Friday 10 October 2025.

These rules are set by the Christchurch District Plan, Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi bylaws. Please read the 2022 elections signage information fact sheet [PDF, 61 KB] to ensure you are complying with the rules. Further information will be issued in early 2025.

Council resources are not permitted to be used for campaigning purposes.

All candidates in elections and by-elections held under the provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001 must file a return of electoral donations and expenses.

A candidate is required to keep a record of all electoral donations and campaign election expenses and must submit a return to the electoral officer within 55 days of the election result being declared. A  form will be provided to enable candidates to submit their returns.

Once the electoral expenses and electoral donations return forms and supporting documents are sent back to the council they become public documents and will be placed on the council’s website and can be inspected by any person for the next seven years.

Campaign expenditure

Candidates have campaign expenditure limits and are required to file a return to the electoral officer after the election.

Section 111 of the Local Electoral Act 2001(external link) details the maximum amount of electoral expenses. The Candidate Information Booklet includes a summary from section 111(1) of the Act of the maximum amount of electoral expenses (inclusive of goods and services tax) that a candidate must not exceed.

Campaign expenditure is all expenses relating to the campaign from the period three months before election day, for 2025 this is 11 July 2025, plus any apportioned costs of any election campaigning that started before the three-month period. Refer to section 112 of the Local Electoral Act 2001(external link).

If a candidate is standing for more than one position (for example mayor and councillor), then the higher limit applies (not both combined).

The relevant sections of the Local Electoral Act 2001 on election expenses are available in the Candidate Information Booklet. Please note:

1. Candidates are required to keep evidence of any election expenses for amounts exceeding $200.
2. All candidates must submit a return of election expenses and donations form even if no expenses have been incurred or donations received.
3. The $200 nomination deposit fee is not an electoral expense.

Electoral donations

Candidates should note the following with regard to electoral donations:

An electoral donation is a donation of money, goods or services that is made for use in a candidate’s electoral campaign (section 103A of the Local Electoral Act). Electoral donations and contributions to donations of more than $1500, including GST, are required to be declared in the candidate’s return of electoral expenses and donations. A series of donations made by one person that adds up to more than $1500 must also be declared.

An electoral donation includes:

• Where a candidate is provided with goods or services free of charge that have a reasonable market value greater than $300.
• Where a candidate is provided with discounted goods or services and the reasonable market value of the goods or services is greater than $300, the difference between the contract or agreed price and the reasonable market value of those goods and services is a donation.
• Where a candidate sells over-valued goods or services, the difference between the price paid and the reasonable market value is a donation, for example, a funding-raising auction or dinner.

Donations to candidates can be made up of pooled funds contributed by more than one person (referred to as donations funded from contributions). These types of donations include, for example, campaign donations made through a trust, or where there is a fundraising collection for a candidate’s campaign.

Candidates must disclose, in their return of electoral donations and expenses, whether a donation is funded from contributions and the name and address of any individuals contributing amounts in excess of $1500. Anonymous donations made through contributions are limited to a maximum of $1500 per donation.

Candidates who receive an anonymous donation of more than $1500 are required to pay the amount over $1500 to the electoral officer (for payment into the Council’s general account).

The electoral officer’s role is to bring these matters to the attention of all candidates.

The Council will publish information requested by candidates in the lead-up to the Local Body Elections. This allows Council information to be available to all candidates on an equal basis.