2004 New Zealand local elections

Triennial elections for all 74 cities, districts, twelve regional councils and all district health boards in New Zealand were held on 9 October 2004. Most councils were elected using the first-past-the-post method, but ten (of which Wellington City was the largest) were elected using the single transferable vote (STV) method. It was the first time that the STV method was available; the change came through successful lobbying by Rod Donald.

District health board elections
Elections for the 21 district health boards (DHBs) were first held alongside the 2001 local elections. The government had hoped to use the STV voting method from the start but this could not be achieved and in 2001, first-past-the-post voting (FPP) was used based on local wards. For the 2004 elections, the STV method was used. From 2004 onwards, DHB candidates have been elected at large (i.e. across the whole voting area).

STV voting method
Apart from the district health boards, ten district or city councils used the STV method for the 2004 local elections: Kaipara, Papakura, Matamata-Piako, Thames-Coromandel, Kāpiti Coast, Porirua, Wellington, Marlborough, Dunedin, and the Chatham Islands.

A private company, elections.com and its subsidiary Datamail, had been engaged by seven councils, eighteen DHBs, and one licensing trust with operating the STV elections. During the weekend of the elections, it was discovered that when voting papers were transferred to computer-readable data, not all data were correctly recorded. The Office of the Auditor-General became involved and tasked with confirming the election results. The final results for these elections became available in early November, nearly one month after the local election. The government initiated a select committee inquiry.

North Island

 * Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Environment BOP)
 * Western Bay of Plenty District Council
 * Tauranga City Council
 * Opotiki District Council
 * Whakatane District Council
 * Rotorua District Council (part)
 * Kawerau District Council
 * Taupō District Council (part)
 * Gisborne District Council (unitary authority)
 * Hawke's Bay Regional Council
 * Wairoa District Council
 * Taupō District Council (part)
 * Hastings District Council
 * Napier City Council
 * Central Hawke's Bay District Council
 * Rangitikei District Council (part)
 * Taranaki Regional Council
 * New Plymouth District Council
 * Stratford District Council (part)
 * South Taranaki District Council
 * Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council (Horizons Regional Council; horizons.mw)
 * Ruapehu District Council
 * Stratford District Council (part)
 * Rangitikei District Council (part)
 * Wanganui District Council
 * Manawatū District Council
 * Palmerston North City Council
 * Tararua District Council
 * Horowhenua District Council
 * Greater Wellington Regional Council
 * Masterton District Council
 * Kāpiti Coast District Council
 * Carterton District Council
 * South Wairarapa District Council
 * Upper Hutt City Council
 * Porirua City Council
 * Hutt City Council *
 * Wellington City Council

South Island

 * Tasman District Council (unitary authority)
 * Nelson City Council (unitary authority)
 * Marlborough District Council (unitary authority)
 * West Coast Regional Council
 * Buller District Council
 * Grey District Council
 * Westland District Council
 * Environment Canterbury
 * Kaikōura District Council
 * Hurunui District Council
 * Selwyn District Council
 * Waimakariri District Council
 * Christchurch City Council
 * Banks Peninsula District Council
 * Ashburton District Council
 * Mackenzie District Council
 * Timaru District Council
 * Waitaki District Council (part)
 * Waimate District Council
 * Otago Regional Council
 * Queenstown Lakes District Council
 * Central Otago District Council
 * Waitaki District Council (part)
 * Dunedin City Council Dunedin Mayoralty Election, 2004
 * Clutha District Council
 * Southland Regional Council (Environment Southland)
 * Southland District Council
 * Gore District Council
 * Invercargill City Council

Stewart Island / Rakiura

 * Southland Regional Council (Environment Southland)
 * Southland District Council

Chatham Islands

 * Chatham Islands Council (territory)