You may have spotted some of our Make Your Mark on Manawatū advertising recently, calling for candidates to come forward to potentially become elected members of Manawatū District Council. But the simplest way you can have your say and design the future of the district is to vote!

Historically speaking, the turn out in local elections is lower than in parlimentary elections. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Councils are the engine room of their communities, and with so much change mooted in the Future of Local Government review, it’s now more important than ever to have your say at the ballot box.

To do that, you must be enrolled. Enrolling to vote is easy, and all of the hard work is done for you.

If you are eligible to vote, you’ll receive an enrolment pack in the mail in the first week of July. Look out for a letter with the little orange man on it. If your details are correct, you don’t need to do anything!

If they’re incorrect, you can update your details online using your New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity. Or make the changes on the form in your update pack, sign it and send it back by Friday 12 August.

If you don’t receive your enrolment pack in the first week of July, it’s easy to check if you’re enrolled or if your details are up to date. You can do this online at www.vote.nz, over the phone on 0800 36 76 56 or by free-texting your name and address to 3676.

If you run into any issues, feel free to contact us here at Council and we’ll be able to assist you.

Council will send you voting papers in the mail when it’s time to vote, so it’s important that you’re enrolled at the right address.

It’s important to remember that when you vote, you’re not just voting for yourself, you’re voting for the future generations that can’t yet have their say. So we encourage you to chat with your friends, family and whānau to find out what are the issues that are important to them and see if they align with your own thoughts and opinions.

Voting really does have an impact on the direction of Manawatū District Council, so take the opportunity make your voice heard and throw your support behind candidates who will advocate for the things that are important to you, your community and your whānau.

Find out more about local elections by visiting www.mdc.govt.nz/about-council/2022-local-elections.