Board Seat Voting

This year, elections are being held for the four General Board seats and the by-election for the Takapūwāhia Marae Board seat.

Nominations

Eligible members can put themselves or another eligible member forward, in accordance with the Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Rules.

Full nomination requirements, eligibility criteria and nomination forms will be available when nominations open on 4 November 2026. These will explain who can stand, who can nominate and how to submit a nomination.

Read the Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Rules

Which seats are being elected

Four General Board seats

The four General Board seats are elected by eligible adult members of Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The term dates for the General Board seats are 22 January 2027 to 22 January 2030.

Takapūwāhia Marae Board seat

This by-election is to fill the Takapūwāhia Marae Board seat for the remainder of the current term, following the resignation of Callum Kātene. A by-election fills a seat that has become vacant before the term ends.

The current term runs until 30 January 2028, when the four Marae Board seats will come up for election as part of the next Marae seat election process.

Voting for this seat is limited to eligible adult members affiliated to Takapūwāhia Marae. Please read below for more details.

  • To stand for the Takapūwāhia Marae Board seat, a candidate must have Takapūwāhia Marae recorded as their primary affiliation on the Ngati Toa Rangatira Register. Their nominator must also have Takapūwāhia Marae recorded as their primary affiliation. Adult registered members may record all marae they affiliate with, but they can participate in elections for only one marae seat. Their primary affiliation is used to identify which marae election they can participate in.

Key dates

Results will be confirmed following the close of voting and counting of all votes.

  • We will call for nominations through email, post, Iwi Pānui, social media and other Rūnanga channels.

  • Nominations close at 5pm. Candidates will then be checked for eligibility and candidate information will be prepared.

  • Voting opens on the same day as the Annual General Meeting in Wairau. Iwi members can vote online or by post.

  • Voting will remain open from 11 December 2026 through to 19 January 2027, closing at 5pm.

    A final Wāhi Pōti (in person voting) will be held at Takapūwāhia Marae on 19 January 2027.

Who can vote

To vote, you must be aged 18 years or older and meet the eligibility requirements in the Rūnanga Rules. Voting for the Takapūwāhia Marae seat also requires affiliation to Takapūwāhia Marae.

Make sure you are registered with Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and that your contact details on the Iwi Register are up to date, so you receive your voting information.

If you are not registered, or are unsure about your registration or marae affiliation, contact the Iwi Registration team.

For questions about voting eligibility, contact Electionz.

How you will receive your voting information

Eligible adult members will receive their voting information using the contact details we currently hold on the Iwi Register.

  • If we have your email address, your voting information will be sent to you by email. Keep an eye on your inbox, including your spam or junk folder.

  • If you are aged 55 or older, you will receive your voting information by post. Voting packs will be lodged for delivery to eligible iwi members on Monday 14 December.

  • If we do not have an email address for you, your voting information will be sent to you by post. Keep an eye on your mailbox.

Make sure your contact details are up to date so you do not miss important election information.

What happens next

  • Nominations open on 4 November 2026.

    Information about the available positions, eligibility criteria and how to nominate will be sent to all iwi members whose contact details are up to date on our records.

  • Once nominations close and candidates have been confirmed, candidate information will be provided to help members understand who is standing.

  • Eligible members will receive instructions on how and when to vote.

  • The Returning Officer will oversee the vote count, with election results shared with whānau following the final Wāhi Pōti on 19 January 2027.

How to vote?

Eligible members will be able to vote online, by post, or in person at the Annual General Meeting in Wairau on 11 December 2026.

A final Wāhi Pōti will also be available at Takapūwāhia Marae on 19 January 2027.

Eligible members will receive instructions on how and when to vote through your enrolment pack.

Who manages the election

Electionz will independently manage the election and voting process, with an appointed Returning Officer responsible for receiving and counting votes.

This helps ensure the election process is transparent, independent and consistent with the Rūnanga Rules.

Keep your iwi details up to date

Voting information will be sent to the contact details we hold for you.

If your address, email or other contact details have changed, please update your information with the Iwi Registration team.

You can also support whānau by sharing this webpage and reminding them to check their iwi details.

Who to contact