Nominations open Thursday 16 February in the by-election for the Western Ward seat on the Ashburton District Council.

Nearly anyone can represent their community, as long as they are over the age of 18, a New Zealand citizen and enrolled on the Parliamentary electoral roll.

Ashburton District Council Chief Executive Hamish Riach said the by-election was necessary after the passing of Cr Rodger Letham in December. Western Ward councillors also sit on the Methven Community Board.

“Now is the chance for people to step up, share their ideas and help lead the district. We're looking for candidates of all ages and backgrounds, all you need is a passion to serve your local community.”

A candidate information handbook will be available on the voteashburton.nz website from Thursday and nominations will be accepted until noon on Thursday 16 March. Nomination forms will be available online and in paper form at Council’s Baring Square office, the Ashburton Public Library and the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall.

Voting will not be needed if there is only one candidate but if there is more than one, then eligible voters in the ward will be asked to vote by post for their preferred candidate.

Now is a good time to check if you are eligible to vote, especially if you’ve moved since the Local Elections last year or didn’t get a voting pack in October.

Preliminary electoral rolls can be inspected at Council’s office or electors may enrol or amend their details online at www.vote.nz, or by calling 0800 36 76 56.

Council’s voteashburton.nz website also has information for voters, including maps showing ward boundaries and Frequently Asked Questions.

Candidates cannot nominate themselves and they must be nominated by two people, who are over 18 and enrolled to vote in Western Ward.

Mr Riach encouraged candidates to complete their nominations early, so they can be checked for any technical errors well before the deadline.

Candidates will be listed at voteashburton.nz once their nominations are processed.