Forty-two candidates running for Palmerston North City Council
Published on 01 August 2025
The race for Palmerston North City Council is officially underway, with 42 candidates stepping up to represent our city as either mayor or councillor. Nominations closed at 12pm today, locking in a diverse and passionate group of people eager to lead Palmerston North over the next three years.
That includes four candidates for mayor, 37 standing in Te Hirawanui General Ward, and three in Te Pūao Māori Ward - with the final list of confirmed candidates available soon.
Deputy Electoral Officer, Hannah White, says the large number of candidates reflect our community’s commitment to our city.
"It's great to see that so many people have put their hand up to be involved, to advocate and to lead our city.”
With the list of candidates now available on our Council website, and the final list soon to be confirmed, Mrs White is encouraging everyone to learn more about who’s running and what they stand for.
Read the full list of candidates
“Now’s the time to learn more about our candidates. Later this month, we’ll post videos of the candidates on our website, as one way you can get to know more about them. Another is to attend a meet-the-candidates event, being held by a wide range of community groups through August and September.”
Already confirmed candidate meetings will be listed on our website from early next week, so keep an eye out.
Mrs White also encourages people to check out the recently released Pre-election Report, also available on our website.
“The Pre-election Report is essential reading for both voters and candidates. It highlights the key issues and opportunities facing our city and is designed to help spark informed conversations and debate ahead of the election."
If you're enrolled, your voting papers will arrive during the week of 9 September. Once you’ve made your choices, return your vote by posting it in a blue DX mailbox or dropping it into one of the bright orange ballot boxes at your local supermarket or corner store.
If you haven’t enrolled to vote by the end of the day, or you’ve changed address and forgotten to update your details, contact the Electoral Commission as soon as possible. After you've done that, you’ll need to cast a special vote in person, either at our Customer Service Centre between 9 September and 11 October, or at one of our libraries on Saturdays during this election period.
This election is also the time to tell us whether to keep or remove our Te Pūao Māori ward in Palmerston North.
Voting closes at 12pm on Saturday 11 October.