Elections for Otago Regional Council are held every three years at the same time as elections for city and district councils.
The last election was held on Saturday, 8 October 2022. The next local elections for Otago Regional Council will be held on Saturday, 11 October 2025, by postal vote using the Single Transferable Voting (STV) electoral system.
To avoid disappointment, make sure you are on the current roll
Names of confirmed candidates are updated to the Electionz page as soon as the applications have been received and processed.
The full profiles of the confirmed candidates for the ORC 2025 triennial elections will be uploaded after candidate nominations close (1 August 2025), but before voting opens (9 September 2025).
You can check your details on the electoral roll to see which electorate you're in for election day at elections.nz.
Use our map below if you're unsure which Otago constituency you reside in (if you're on a mobile device, you can tap on the blue 'Map' button to expand the map).
Enter your address to find which constituency you live in. Note addresses are not saved.
Constituency |
Communities of interest |
Moeraki Constituency |
Comprising the Otago portion of the Waitaki District territorial area, being part of the Ahuriri and Corriedale wards, and the entirety of the Oamaru ward and Waihemo ward. |
Dunedin Constituency |
Comprising the central Dunedin and the Waikouaiti Coast, West Harbour, Otago Peninsula and Saddle Hill community board areas located within the Dunedin City territorial area. |
Dunstan Constituency |
Comprising the Central Otago District and Queenstown Lakes District territorial areas. |
Molyneux Constituency |
Comprising the Clutha District territorial area and Mosgiel-Taieri and Strath-Taieri community board areas located within the Dunedin City territorial area. |
The population that each member will represent is as follows:
Constituency |
Population
|
Members |
Population per member |
Moeraki Constituency |
22,300 |
1 |
22,300 |
Dunedin Constituency |
115,200 |
5 |
23,040 |
Dunstan Constituency |
78,800 |
4 |
19,700 |
Molyneux Constituency |
38,300 |
2 |
19,150 |
Total |
254,600 |
12 |
21,217 |
In accordance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act 2001 the population that each member represents must be within the range of 21,217 +/- 10% (19,096 – 23,338), unless particular community of interest considerations justify otherwise.
All of the proposed constituencies fall within the stipulated range.
Phone: 0800 474 082
Email: elections@orc.govt.nz
Otago Regional Council's Election Officer
Anthony Morton
Deputy Elections Officer
Di Railton
Want to vote on the future of the Otago region? You need to be enrolled.
Choose a candidate who represents you.
Make sure your vote counts in the local body elections. You do not need to rank all candidates, just those you prefer most.
See who has submitted their nomination so far. Candidates have until Noon, Friday 1 August to submit their applications. This Electionnz page is updated as nominations are received and processed.
Elections will be held by postal vote on Saturday 11 October 2025.
Information on standing for the Otago Regional Council was included as part of joint presentations throughout Otago. Items covered included how the council is structured, the role and responsibilities of elected representatives, skills required, anticipated time commitments, meeting schedules, and an overview of the nomination and election processes.