The 2026 general election approaches and candidates’ faces are posted on shiny signs around the Waikato region and district. But this election will be different.
Changes made by the National Government mean that this year voters must enroll before the election, and cannot enroll on the day.
The Electoral Amendment Act 2025, which passed its third reading in late 2025, has made several changes to the system. As well as removing on-the-day enrollment, meaning voters must enroll 13 days before election day, the Act introduced restrictions to offering free food and drink within 100 metres of a voting place.
For local electorates, Waikato, Port-Waikato, Taupo, Taranaki-King Country, and the Hauraki-Waikato Maori electorate, candidates have begun to appear.
Five have put their name forward for candidacy in the Waikato electorate so far. Port-Waikato has six MP candidates, Taupō has three, and Taranaki-King Country has four, The Hauraki-Waikato electorate has just two at this point.
Although numbers of MP candidates are looking lower in comparison to previous elections, candidate nominations may still come through before the deadline on October 8.
Voting places will be revealed three weeks before elections. Voters must be enrolled before October 25.
Below are the candidates currently in running for each electorate surrounding Waikato.
MP candidates for Waikato
Walt Cavendish – Independent
Robbie Cookson – NZ First
Ash Parmar – ACT
Jamie Toko – Labour
Tim van de Molen – National
MP candidates for Port-Waikato
Matt Brachi – Labour
Casey Costello – NZ First
Daymond Goulder-Horobin – Outdoors
Sarah Jane Lochead-Macmillan – ACT
Carl Morgan – Green
Matthew Paul – National
MP candidates for Taranaki-King Country
Ivana Jovicic – ACT
Barbara Kuriger – National
David Pattermore – Labour
Lee Smith – NZ First
MP candidates for Hauraki-Waikato
Kingi Kiriona – Labour
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke – Te Pati Māori
