How local representation is arranged
Much like the 22 electorates for the general election, your local board and ward areas are determined by where you are registered to vote.
You can only vote for local board candidates and ward councillors from the area your address is registered to. There are 21 local boards and 13 wards in the Auckland region.
Because the mayor's role is Auckland-wide, the list of mayoral candidates will be the same for all Aucklanders.
How local board and ward boundaries are decided
The boundaries for the local boards and wards are related to population.
We conduct a review of ward boundaries and population every six years by ‘representation review’. Representation reviews take a close look at the population within each ward and the subdivisions within them, compared to the number of elected representatives for that area.
These reviews may change the ward boundaries to reflect changes in population and achieve a fair ratio of elected members.
How we keep things fair
Ward boundaries are not just decided by population amounts. There are exceptions for communities that share a common community aspect that needs to be protected.
These exceptions usually apply to islands or isolated communities and rural areas. In these instances, it is important for communities to feel they are accurately represented by their elected members.
What representation reviews do
Auckland Council’s local board boundaries can only be reviewed through a representation review.
Representation reviews offer a chance for us to look at the current local boards and wards and make sure that they are represented fairly and effectively.