2019 Invercargill mayoral election explained

Election Name:	2019 Invercargill mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2016 Invercargill mayoral election
Previous Year:	2016
Next Election:	2022 Invercargill mayoral election
Next Year:	2022
Election Date:	12 October 2019
Turnout:	20,022 (53.01%)
Candidate1:	Tim Shadbolt
Party1:	Independent politician
Popular Vote1:	9,672
Percentage1:	48.30
Candidate2:	Darren Ludlow
Party2:	Independent politician
Popular Vote2:	6,425
Percentage2:	32.08
Candidate3:	Rebecca Amundsen
Party3:	Independent politician
Popular Vote3:	3,302
Percentage3:	16.49
Mayor
Before Election:	Tim Shadbolt
After Election:	Tim Shadbolt

The 2019 Invercargill mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections that were held on 12 October 2019 to elect the Mayor of Invercargill. Incumbent mayor Tim Shadbolt was re-elected to his ninth term with a reduced majority.

Key dates

Key dates for the election were:^[1]

• 1 July: Electoral Commission enrolment campaign starts.
• 19 July: Nominations open for candidates. Rolls open for inspection.
• 16 August: Nominations close at noon. Rolls close.
• 21 August: Election date and candidates' names announced.
• 20 to 25 September: Voting documents delivered to households. Electors can post the documents back to electoral officers as soon as they have voted.
• 12 October: Polling day. Voting documents must be at the council before voting closes at noon. Preliminary results will be available as soon as all ordinary votes are counted.
• 17 to 23 October: Official results, including all valid ordinary and special votes, declared.

Candidates

Declared candidates

• Rebecca Amundsen, incumbent Deputy Mayor of Invercargill^[2]
• Steve Chernishov,^[3] candidate for city council in 2016
• Darren Ludlow, Invercargill City Councillor and former Deputy Mayor of Invercargill^[4]
• Tim Shadbolt, incumbent Mayor of Invercargill^[5]

Rejected candidates

• Ria Bond, former New Zealand First list MP^{[3] [6]}

Withdrawn candidates

• Toni Biddle, Invercargill City Councillor^{[7] [8]}

Declined to be candidates

• Paddy O'Brien, ILT board member and former international rugby union referee^[9]

Results

The following table gives the election results:^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Race for the mayoralty: What you need to know . Radio NZ. 4 March 2019 . 4 March 2019 .
2. Web site: Shadbolt fires up at news his deputy will run for mayoralty . 12 March 2019.
3. Web site: Bond misses out but Shadbolt confirms nomination for Invercargill mayoralty . 16 August 2019.
4. Web site: Councillor Darren Ludlow to stand for Invercargill mayoralty . 11 April 2019.
5. Web site: Shadbolt, 71, to stand for Invercargill mayoralty again next year . 26 July 2018.
6. Web site: Ria Bond joins Invercargill mayoralty race . 15 April 2019.
7. Web site: Toni Biddle to battle Tim Shadbolt for Invercargill mayoralty . 5 December 2018.
8. Web site: Toni Biddle pulls out of mayoralty race, anyone going to take on Sir Tim Shadbolt? . 21 February 2019.
9. Web site: Paddy O'Brien rules out running for Invercargill mayoralty in 2019 . 22 February 2019.
10. Web site: Final results for Invercargill local authority elections . 17 October 2019 . Invercargill City Council.