Tauranga byelection dates formally set

An aerial view of Tauranga. Photo / Tauranga City Council

Dates for the Tauranga byelection have been formally set.

The Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, issued a writ for the byelection yesterday, after Simon Bridges stepped down as Tauranga MP.

The writ directed the Electoral Commission to conduct the byelection in the Tauranga electorate on June 18, it said in a statement.

The writ sets out the dates for candidate nominations, election day, and the last day for the successful candidate to be named.

Nominations for candidates close at noon next Tuesday and a full list of candidates was expected to be available by 4pm that day.

Tuesday this week marked the close of the Tauranga electoral roll for printing.

Anyone enrolling will now need to cast a special vote, the statement said.

Eligible voters can enrol or update their details online at vote.nz.

Several candidates have publicly declared they will challenge for the seat, including representatives of parties in Parliament including National, Labour, Act and the Greens.