The 2016 New Zealand local elections were triennial elections to select local government officials and District Health Board members. Under section 10 of the Local Electoral Act 2001, a "general election of members of every local authority or community board must be held on the second Saturday in October in every third year" from the date the Act came into effect in 2001, meaning 8 October 2016.
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Electoral systems
The local elections were held using postal ballots. Most city and district councils and all but one regional council use the first-past-the-post (FPP) voting system, with the exception of the following six city and district councils that use the single transferable vote (STV) voting system:
The Wellington Regional Council is the sole regional council using the STV system.
Environment Canterbury is under statutory management and no elections were held. Statutory management in Kaipara District will end as it holds its first elections since 2010. All District Health Boards use the STV system.
Mayoral elections summary
Since the 2013 local elections, two new mayors have been elected. Carterton mayor Ron Mark and Palmerston North mayor Jono Naylor resigned after being elected to Parliament in the 2014 election, with John Booth elected unopposed as the new Carterton mayor and Grant Smith elected in a by-election as the new Palmerston North mayor.
Note all results below are preliminary and are subject to change.