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Press Release from It’s in the Ballot Productions
Local Body Elections 2025
https://youtu.be/A6QzpvNqjwM?si=EChKd...
We are only 1 year away from the 2025 local bodies and It’s in the Ballot Productions is releasing their planned draft schedule for the 2025 Local Body Election Shows. With the recent law change earlier this year, the government has adjusted the timeline from an 8 week 1 day nomination to voting day to a 10 week 1 day period. With election day being Saturday 11th October 2025, you have to have nominations in by Friday 1st August 2025. We have opted to follow an 8 week show schedule with shows starting in week 2 and finishing in week 9, with reruns to happen throughout the campaign from when voting papers are sent out, just like we did in the 2022 local bodies and repeated in the 2023 general election.
It’s in the Ballot will continue its focus on connecting voters with quality information on candidate’s policies, positions and campaign promises, while being accessible from the comfort of the voter’s own home in their own time. Our shows help those who do not have the ability to get to a community lead meet the candidates event, a way to see the candidates performance while answering the questions that locals submitted.
We have planned 128 2 hour ward/mayoral shows, along with 37 1 hour community board shows. Councils we are considering covering are listed below:
Greater Wellington Region
- Wellington City Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 6 ward shows and 2 community boards
- Hutt City Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 6 ward shows and 2 (double debate) Councilor at large shows
- Upper Hutt City Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 2 (double debate) Councilor at large shows
- Kapiti Coast District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 5 ward shows, 1 Councilor at large show and 5 community board shows
- South Wairarapa District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 4 ward shows and 3 community board shows.
- Carterton District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 1 Councilor at large shows. This council could have a double debate for the councilors if there is a huge number of candidates standing.
- Masterton District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 2 ward shows and 1 Councilor at large shows
- Greater Wellington Regional Council - all 7 wards
Horizons Region
- Tararua District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 3 ward shows and 2 community boards
- Horowhenua District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 5 ward shows and 1 community boards show
- Manawatu District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 3 ward shows
- Palmerston North City Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 4 ward shows (General Ward is looking at a triple debate)
- Horizons Regional Council - Covering Wards - Horowhenua Ward, Manawatu- Rangitikei Ward, Palmerston North Ward and Tararua Ward. We are open to having Whanganui Ward, Ruapehu Ward, Raki Maori Ward and Tonga Maori ward as remote shows
Waikato Region
- Hamilton City Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 2 wards having double debate shows and 1 ward having a single debate
- Waipa District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 5 ward shows and 4 community boards shows
- Matamata-Piako District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 4 ward shows
- Waikato District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 10 ward shows and 7 community boards shows
- Waikato Regional Council - Covering wards - Hamilton City Ward, Waikato District Ward, Waipa-King Ward, Waihou Ward, Nga Hau E Wha and Nga Tai Ki Uta ward. We are open to covering Thames - Coromandel Ward and Taupo - Rotorua Ward as remote shows
Bay of Plenty Region
- Western Bay of Plenty District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 4 ward shows and 5 community boards shows
- Kawerau District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 2 ward shows
- Whakatane District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 6 ward shows and 4 community boards shows
- Rotorua Lakes District Council - 1 Mayoral Debate along with 3 ward shows (General Ward will be a double debate) and 2 community boards shows
- Bay of Plenty Regional Council - all 7 Wards
The councils listed above are some we covered in 2022, some of the area’s we had strong support from in the 2023 general election, areas we covered by-elections in 2024, and areas that we have had people request our format either during the 2022 local bodies that we weren’t able to cover, or after seeing our 2024 coverage of the Tauranga City Council special local body elections and wanted us to bring the show to their community.
In 2025, we are introducing 1 hour Community Board shows which will be a new format where candidates will have a 1H show where all candidates standing will get a choice of 8 boxes and will follow a similar format to Hard Hitting Questions in our 2H shows, but the twist is the candidates need to work together on choosing the box numbers since all candidates are answering all of them and the community board structure is based on team work. These shows will not include butt in cards or defer cards.
Our 2025 2H format will remain the same as it did in 2023 and 2024, with all candidates getting 2 Butt In Cards and 1 Defer Card that can be used during the first half of the show while they take turns choosing box numbers and answering the community submitted answer inside, with the second half consisting of 3 hard hitting questions which all candidates must answer, and closing statements. We are exploring having one of the hard hitting questions about how each candidate will be voting in the Maori ward referendum on continuing to keep the ward or to disestablish it from the 2028 local body elections and why they are voting that way.
Also from Week 5 of the 10 week Campaign period, we will start our repeats for the shows, making our It’s in the Ballot Youtube channel and Twitch channel from Midday to Midnight a mixture of reruns and live shows ready for voting papers to go out on Week 6 and will continue right up until the Friday before election day.
For the first time with local bodies we will be having an Election Results Show on Sunday 12th October from 12pm to 8pm where we will go through the result, explain the interaction processes for STV and show our highlights from the 2025 season.
We are also offering broadcasting partnership arrangements with the councils we are covering and local media organizations. For councils, candidates, media organizations, volunteers and other interested parties who would like to be broadcast partners, please email us at itsintheballot@gmail.com
Sam Somers - Co-Chair of It’s in the Ballot Productions
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On the next Order Paper Podcast we will be covering Marine and Coastal Areas (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill - Select Committee hearings, including Don Brashes submission plus the many more submissions and we will let you know when the latest bills with public submission are closing.
Join us at 8pm with myself, Sam Somers, and panelist Laura Te Kiwi-Birb and Chris Norton on Facebook, Youtube and Twitch.
youtube.com/live/krEfEaOG3Cg?si=Uxh4O2xNXKRvZ3z5
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We will be covering the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill - Second Reading, followed by Auckland Harbour Board and Takapuna Borough Council Empowering Act Amendment Bill - First Reading and let you know the when the latest bills with public submission closing. Plus we will show Andrew Bayly correction to his questions earlier this week
We will also be mentioning our draft schedule for It’s in the Ballot 2025 local bodies election schedule, before we going out to those communities
Join us at 8pm with myself, Sam Somers, and panelist Laura Te Kiwi-Birb on Facebook, Youtube and Twitch.
youtube.com/live/bX8KBh7ZRIc?feature=share
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We will be covering the Mental Health Bill - First Reading, followed by Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill - Committee of the house and Third Reading and let you know the when the latest bills with public submission closing. Plus want to see the process of announcing the Removal of Darlene Tana right at the start of the show
Join us at 8pm with myself, Sam Somers, and panelist Laura Te Kiwi-Birb and Dr Huhana Hickey on Facebook, Youtube and Twitch
Also remember to turn in tomorrow for a special Labour Show for those that need their webshow fix at 8pm Monday 28th October
youtube.com/live/JJzJbSxQUKw?si=yztzeDrz1v9yXCuC
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On Wednesday 23rd October - these bills went through the house, which bill would you like us to cover
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On Tuesday 22nd October - these bills went through the house, which bill would you like us to cover
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Tonight on The Order Paper Podcast
We will be covering the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill - second reading where we will cover all the remaining 6 speeches including the easter egg from Mark Patterson right at the end, after that we Corrections (Victim Protection) Amendment Bill - second reading in the name of Rima Nakhle and let you know the when the latest bills with public submission closing.
If you have questions that you would like to ask Ibrahim Omer as the original bill sponsor of the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill, submit them in the chat during the livestream
Join us at 8pm with myself, Sam Somers, and panelist Laura Te Kiwi-Birb, Eric Chuah and former Labour MP, Ibrahim Omer on Facebook, Youtube and Twitch
youtube.com/live/7hvgGcoImsw?si=kfFu_cjLVSypwRad
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Ibrahim Omer is joining The Order Paper this Sunday. Ibrahim is New Zealand's first MP’s born on the continent of Africa and NZ second Refugee MP. Ibrahim became a list mp in the 2020 election for the Labour Party and was selected for the Labour party nomination for Wellington Central in 2023. Unfortunately Tamatha Paul won Wellington Central and Ibriham wasn’t high enough on the list ranked 37. During his term, his members bill Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill was pulled from the biscuit tin, where it would make the offence of stealing from an employee, a criminal offence rather than a civil offence and passed its first reading 75 Ayes to 44 Noes (National and ACT voted against) and was referred to select committee. MP Camilla Belich took over the bill after the 2023 election and is holding the rein to make it law, and to bring criminal consequences for the offence of unlawfully taking money from your employee.
If you have questions about the bill, leave a comment below and we will get Ibrahim to answer them.
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on Friday will mark the 12 month dates till the next local body election
in that time you will see by-elections disappear for local government as council can appoint people from within or leave the seat vacant to avoid the by-election costs and we can start the planning for the 2025 local bodies
Want to bring your, fill out our survey and provide us why we should come to your area. This will help us when applying for funding on why our format is needed for election 2025
forms.gle/qpZQ5Zq53Dj75pAr5
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What select committee public submissions should we cover this Sunday on The Order Paper
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'It’s in the Ballot' is a ‘Meet the Candidates’ meeting with a difference. Based on the format from the kiwi TV classic ‘It's in the Bag’ game show, "It's in the Ballot' has a political twist to assist voters to decide who they will vote for as their electorate MP.
Between general elections, we cover local body elections under the It's in the Ballot Banner
And we have a weekly podcast called The Order Paper covering legislation going through the House of Representive