Voting

Voting will be done digitally using the secure Election Buddy platform.

How to Vote

Access to voting will open at 10 am Thursday 2 November 2023 and close at 11:30 am Friday 3 November 2023. You can vote by clicking vote now on this page. There will be a voting station available at the info desk if you do not have a device. 

You are eligible to vote if you were registered as a voting delegate. Your username is your attendee number (found on name tag or order confirmation) and your password is your email. 

Access Key: Ticket Attendee Number

Password: Ticket Email Address

If you need assistance with voting, people will be available at the info desk to help you throughout Thursday.

Vote Now!

Who are we voting for?

A variety of roles are up for election. You can view the roles and nominee profiles below.

Nominee Profiles

Voting

We would like to see as many people from our Baptist movement at Hui as possible!  

When it comes to voting however, according to our constitution, churches are given a quota for the number of official voting delegates a church may bring to the Assembly (Hui).  

Each constituent church may appoint its minister and two members as official voting delegates to the annual Baptist Hui. Churches having more than 100 members may appoint one additional voting delegate for every complete 50 members in excess of 100 up to 250, and thereafter one additional voting delegate for every complete 100 members. 

Numbers of official voting delegates from churches allowed at Hui: 

  • Up to 149 members: 1 minister 2 delegates 
  • 150 to 199 members: 1 minister 3 delegates 
  • 200 to 249 members: 1 minister 4 delegates 
  • 250 to 349 members: 1 minister 5 delegates 
  • 350 to 449 members: 1 minister 6 delegates 
  • 450 to 549 members: 1 minister 7 delegates etc. 

Baptist Fellowships may send two official non-voting representatives. However, accredited ministers are able to vote as of right.  

Other voting delegates: 

  • The Officers of the Union and NZBMS together with Senior Executive Staff. 
  • Missionaries of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. 
  • Persons appointed by Assembly or appointed/ratified by the Assembly Council to official positions in the Union.  
  • Chairpersons of all officially appointed Committees, Boards and Trusts of the Union.  

The following have full powers of participation and of voting except in regard to matters affecting the constitution and Rules of the Union: 

  • The members of the Assembly Council and Mission Council for the past year. 
  • Accredited ministers who are out of pastoral charge or not in active service. 
  • Missionaries of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society who have retired after not less than ten years active service and who are present in person at Assembly.  
  • The Editor of the NZ Baptist Magazine.  

Each fellowship which is officially recognised by the Baptist Union may appoint two observers, without speaking or voting rights.  

Business Session Standing Orders 

To enable the business of Assembly to be most expeditiously and efficiently carried through, the following standing orders will be observed: 

CHAIR TO BE ADDRESSED A member desiring to speak shall address the Chairperson and shall give his or her name and the name of the church etc., he or she represents. Chairperson’s call to speak.When two or more members rise to speak, it shall be at the discretion of the Chairperson which member shall speak first. 

MOTIONS A motion shall not be debated until seconded and, subject to the discretion of the Chairperson, the mover shall be allowed six minutes and other speakers three minutes. 

AMENDMENTS Amendments must be relevant to the motion before the meeting, and shall not be debated until seconded. When the amendment has been moved and seconded, no further amendment shall be moved until the first amendment has been disposed of. If an amendment is carried, the motion, as amended, shall become the substantive motion and thereupon further amendments may be moved.  

RIGHT OF REPLY Unless the motion is amended, the mover shall be allowed five minutes for reply, confining him or herself to answering previous speakers, and not introducing any new matters into the debate. The mover of an amendment shall not be entitled to a reply before the amendment is voted upon. If the amendment is carried, the mover thereof may reply before the substantive motion is put to the meeting, confining him or herself to answering previous speakers, and not introducing any new matters into the debate. 

WITHDRAWAL OF MOTIONS OR AMENDMENTS A motion or amendment having been moved and seconded shall not be removed without the consent of the seconder. 

MATTERS OF URGENCY In any case of urgency, of which the Chairperson shall be the judge, it shall be within the power of the Chairperson to move from the Chair or to accept for debate motions of which no previous notice has been given. 

NO MEMBER TO SPEAK TWICE All speeches must be directed to the motion or amendment under discussion. No member may speak twice to the same question except at the absolute discretion of the Chairperson. A member who has already spoken may, by permission of the Chairperson, explain or clear up any misunderstanding. 

QUESTIONS OF “ORDER” Should a member direct the Chairperson’s attention to a point of order arising, the member addressing the meeting shall at once resume his seat and the question or “order” shall be disposed of before the subject is resumed or any other subject entered upon. 

VOTING Voting shall be restricted to delegates personally present at the meeting at the time of the motion being put. A motion shall be declared carried or lost on voices, except where a ballot shall be demanded or where in his or her discretion the Chairperson considers a show of hands to be necessary to fairly record the votes of delegates. The Chairperson shall be entitled to a deliberative vote and in cases of equality a casting vote also. 

CLOSURE It shall be competent for any member (other than the mover or seconder of a motion or amendment) to move without debate that the question be now put and such closure of motion, if seconded, shall, unless the Chairperson rules otherwise, be put forthwith. Should the closure be carried, the mover of the substantive motion before the meeting shall be entitled to reply, but shall be strictly confined to answering the previous speakers and shall not introduce any new matter into the debate. After reply, the motion or amendment under debate shall at once be put. If the closure be not carried, it shall be competent for the same members to move or second the closure again during the discussion of the same question. 

“NEXT BUSINESS” If a motion be made and seconded “That the meeting proceed to the next business” the mover of the question under discussion may speak against this proposal, after which it shall be put at once without further debate. 

CHAIRPERSON’S RULING The ruling of the Chairperson shall be final on all points of order and procedure which may arise.