‘It’s In The Ballot’ Confirms It Will Be Covering
17 Electorates With In-Studio. ‘It’s in the Ballot’
shows across the North Island From Wellington to Hamilton.
We endeavor to break down barriers between candidates and
voters by providing an opportunity for candidates to voice
their message on why they should be elected as an electorate
MP (for their electorate). Voters then have a more informed
chance (either in person or online from the comfort of their
own home) to decide where they should put their electorate
vote for this coming election.
Starting off with
Palmerston North
Palmerston North Electorate
Square Edge Community Arts Evelyn, Rawlins
Room, on Level 1~(Same place as 2020, 2023 and Local Bodies
2025)
Saturday 10th October 2026
Doors open at
630pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets available
now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/18/palmerston-north-electorate/
Wellington
North Electorate
Khandallah Town Hall
& Cornerstone Community Centre in the main hall ~(Same
place for the Ōhāriu in 2020, 2023 and
Wellington Mayoralty in 2022 and 2025)
Sunday 11th
October 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from
7pm to 9pm
Tickets available now –
https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/18/wellington-north-electorate/
Rangitīkei
Electorate
Te Takeretanga o
Kura-hau-pō (Levin Community Centre) ~(Same place for the
Horowhenua Mayoral Race in 2025)
Monday 12th October
2026
Doors open at 3:30pm
Broadcast Time from 4pm to
6pm
Tickets available now –
https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/16/rangitikei-electorate/
Wellington
Bay Electorate
Te Whare Hapori o Ngā
Puna Waiora, Newtown Community Centre ~(Same place for the
Rongotai Shows in 2020 and 2023)
Wednesday 14th October
2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to
9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/wellington-bay-electorate/
Wairarapa
Electorate
Eketahuna Community Centre,
4 Haswell Street, Eketāhuna 4900
Friday 16th October
2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to
9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/wairarapa-electorate/
Kenepuru
Electorate
Linden Community Centre,
Tawa
Saturday 17th October 2026
Doors open at
6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets
available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/kenepuru-electorate/
Remutaka
Electorate
Epuni Community Hall, 40
Mitchell Street, Epuni, Lower Hutt 5011 ~(Same Venue we
filmed Central Ward, Hutt City Council, 2022 and
2025)
Sunday 18th October 2026
Doors open at
3:30pm
Broadcast Time from 4pm to 6pm
Tickets
available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/remutaka-electorate/
Hutt
South Electorate
Epuni Community Hall,
40 Mitchell Street, Epuni, Lower Hutt 5011 ~(Same Venue we
filmed Central Ward, Hutt City Council, 2022 and
2025)
Sunday 18th October 2026
Doors open at
6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets
available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/hutt-south-electorate/
Kapit
Electorate
Kapiti Impact Hub, 6
Tongariro Street, Paraparaumu 5032 (Same place we did our
2023 Mana Electorate General election Show and Kapiti Coast
Mayoral Race in 2022 and 2025 Local Bodies)
Monday 19th
October 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from
7pm to 9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/20/kapit-electorate/
Hauraki
Waikato Electorate
Free FM –
Independent Community Media
Thursday 22nd October
2026
Broadcast Time from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets available
now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/29/hauraki-waikato-electorate/
Hamilton
East Electorate
Chartwell Cooperating
Parish, 126 Comries Rd, Chartwell Hamilton 3210 NEW ZEALAND
~(Please note a different location from last
election)
Friday 23rd October 2026
Doors open at
3:30pm
Broadcast Time from 4pm to 6pm
Tickets
available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/29/hamilton-east-electorate/
Hamilton
West Electorate
Chartwell Cooperating
Parish, 126 Comries Rd, Chartwell Hamilton 3210 NEW ZEALAND
~(Please note a different location from last
election)
Friday 23rd October 2026
Doors open at
6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets
available now – http://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/29/hamilton-west-electorate/
Waiariki
Electorate
Whakatane Little Theatre,
Short Street, Whakatāne 3120 ~(Same location as the 2025
Whakatane District Council Mayoral Race)
Sunday 25th
October 2026
Doors open at 3:30pm
Broadcast Time from
4pm to 6pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/29/waiariki-electorate/
East
Cape Electorate
Whakatane Little
Theatre, Short Street, Whakatāne 3120 ~(Same location as
the 2025 Whakatane District Council Mayoral Race)
Sunday
25th October 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time
from 7pm to 9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/29/east-cape-electorate/
Mount
Maunganui Electorate
Elizabeth Street
Community & Arts Centre, 169 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
3110 (Same place we did our 2023 Tauranga Electorate General
election Show and Tauranga Mayoral Race in 2024)
Monday
26th October 2026
Doors open at 3:30pm
Broadcast Time
from 4pm to 6pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/30/mount-maunganui-electorate/
Tauranga
Electorate
Elizabeth Street Community
& Arts Centre, 169 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga 3110 (Same
place we did our 2023 Tauranga Electorate General election
Show and Tauranga Mayoral Race in 2024)
Monday 26th
October 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from
7pm to 9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/30/tauranga-electorate/
Rotorua
Electorate
Motion Entertainment, 366 Te
Ngae Road, Lynmore, Rotorua 3010 (Same place we did our 2023
Rotorua Electorate General election Show and Rotorua Mayoral
Race in 2025 Local Bodies)
Tuesday 27th October
2026
Doors open at 6:30pm
Broadcast Time from 7pm to
9pm
Tickets available now – https://itsintheballot.nz/index.php/2026/08/30/rotorua-electorate/
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All
candidates standing in the aforementioned electorates are
welcome to appear in their electorates’ show, and can
register their participation at www.itsintheballot.nz
Voters
wanting to put questions to the candidates standing, can
also do that at www.itsintheballot.nz
or ring toll free on 0508 Ballot
Candidates who have
already confirmed their attendance
Palmerston
North
* Netra Ghimire – Opportunity
* Helma
Vermeulen – NZFirst
* Bruce McGechan – ACT
* Teanau
Tuiono – Green Party of Aotearoa NZ
* Tangi Utikere –
Labour
Ankit Bansal from National and Brian Baker from
Animal Justice Party Aotearoa New Zealand have been invited
but yet to accept our invitation
Wellington
North
* Jessica Hammond – Opportunity
* Matthew
Hague – ACT
* Josh Harford – Alliance
* Jonathan Pitts
– National
* Taylor Arneil – NZFirst
Ayesha Verrall
has initially decline and we have offered her alternative
option such as coming in remotely, getting a person to step
in or inserting video clips in her place, Ayesha is yet to
accept this offer
Tamatha Paul from Green Party of
Aotearoa NZ has been invited but yet to accept our
invitation
Rangitīkei
* Steve Gibson –
NZFirst
* Bernard Long – Green Party of Aotearoa NZ
*
Karl Severinsen – Labour
Andrew Hoggard has initially
decline and we have offered her alternative option such as
coming in remotely, getting a person to step in or inserting
video clips in her place, Andrew is yet to accept this
offer
Suze Redmayne from National has been invited but
yet to accept our invitation
Wellington Bay
*
Julie-Anne Genter – Green Party of Aotearoa NZ
* Gerald
Warner – NZFirst
* Karunā Muthu – National.
Kayla
Kingdon-Bebb from Opportunity , Nicole McKee from ACT, Craig
Renney from Labour and Alison Pavlovich from Freedom
(Formally NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party) have been invited
but yet to accept our invitation
Wairarapa
*
Kieran McAnulty – Labour
* Lauren Craig – Green Party of
Aotearoa NZ
Mike Butterick has initially decline and
we have offered her alternative option such as coming in
remotely, getting a person to step in or inserting video
clips in his place, Mike is yet to accept this
offer
Matt Shepherd from Opportunity and Ron Mark from
NZFirst have been invited but yet to accept our
invitation
Kenepuru
* Matthew Evetts –
National
* Lan Pham – Green Party of Aotearoa NZ
*
Robert Mason – Opportunity
Barbara Edmonds from Labour
and Jon Blackshaw from NZFirst have been invited but yet to
accept our invitation
Remutaka
Nigel Elder
from ACT, Chris Hipkins from Labour, Zabeen Lateef from
National, Chris Norton from Green Party of Aotearoa New
Zealand, Luke Ross from Opportunity and Andy Foster from
NZFirst have been invited but yet to accept our
invitation
Hutt South
* Ben Wylie-van Eerd –
Opportunity
* Alistair Boyce – NZFirst
Courtney
White from Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has been
invited but yet to accept our invitation
Chris Bishop
from National is assessing his alternative options such as
coming in remotely, getting a person to step in or inserting
video clips in his place
Ginny Anderson from Labour
has declined all participation options of Instudio
Appearance, coming in remotely, getting a person to step in
or inserting video clips in her place and have opted to not
be part of the It’s in the Ballot platform breaking down
the barriers of candidates getting an equal shot to get
their campaign message across and answering the voters
questions along with candidates who can not make a
traditional meet the candidates event in person the
opportunity to see them candidates in action from the
comfort of their own home.
Kapit
* Penny
Gaylor – NZFirst
* Melody Willis – Green Party of
Aotearoa New Zealand
* Sophie Handford – Labour (sorting
out diary commitments
Chee-Khiang Sng from Opportunity
and Michael Walker from Progressive Party have been invited
but yet to accept our invitation
Tim Costley from
National is exploring remotely connecting in as he has
multiple commitments on the same day
Hauraki –
Waikato
* Kingi Kiriona -Labour
Hana-Rawhiti
Maipi-Clarke has been invited but yet to accept our
invitation
Hamilton East
* Nicola Laboyrie –
NZFirst
* Georgie Dansey – Labour
* Ryan Hamilton –
National
Naomi Pocock from Opportunity has been
invited but yet to accept our invitation
Hamilton
West
* Blair Smith – Opportunity
* Kevin Stone –
NZ First
* Myra Williamson – Labour
* Tama Potaka –
National
Louise Hutt from Green Party of Aotearoa New
Zealand and Donna POKERE-PHILLIPS – Freedom (Formally NZ
Outdoors & Freedom Party) have been invited but yet to
accept our invitation
Blair Smith from Opportunity has
initially decline and we have offered her alternative option
such as coming in remotely, getting a person to step in or
inserting video clips in his place, Blair is yet to accept
this offer
East Cape
* Darrin Hawkes –
ACT
* Dana Kirkpatrick – National
* Cail Smith –
Opportunity
Jo Luxton form Labour and Jordan Walker
from Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have been invited
but yet to accept our invitation
Mount
Maunganui
* Tom Rutherford – National
* Pualele
(Pua) Westhead – Green Party of Aotearoa New
Zealand
Tracey Coxhead from NZFirst, Rhieve Grey from
Labour and Cameron Luxton from ACT have been invited but yet
to accept our invitation
Tauranga
* Michael
Carter – Opportunity
* Bryan Norton – ACT
* Sam
Connely – Animal Justice
* Daniël Oosthuizen – Green
Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Jan Tinetti from Labour
and Sam Uffindell from National have been invited but yet to
accept our invitation
Rotorua
* Billy Brown –
NZFirst
* Finn Liley – Opportunity
* Todd McClay –
National
* Fisher Wang – Labour
Todd McClay from
National has initially declined and we have offered her
alternative option such as coming in remotely, getting a
person to step in or inserting video clips in his place,
Todd is yet to accept this offer
This will be updated
as Candidates say yes throughout the
election
