17.1.1 Running the elections

Auckland Council is required to appoint an electoral officer to exercise the powers and carry out election-related duties as established and mandated by the Local Electoral Act 2001 [1].
Most councils in New Zealand use a contracted private company to manage the processing of nominations and votes, and typically appoint either a staff member or the principal of that company as electoral officer. For the 2016 elections, Auckland Council contracted Independent Elections Services to run the elections, and the Governing Body appointed Dale Ofsoske, a director of Independent Election Services, as the electoral officer. He in turn appointed Warwick Mc Naughton, Principal Advisor Democracy Services, as the deputy electoral officer. These appointments continue until the electoral officer is replaced.