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

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