Environment Canterbury and Kaipara District were under statutory management and no elections were held.

All District Health Boards used the STV system.

[2] Under section 10 of the Local Electoral Act 2001, a "general election of members of every local authority or community board must be held on the second Saturday in October in every third year" from the date the Act came into effect in 2001, meaning 12 October 2013.

[3] Key dates for the election as set out by the Electoral Commission are:[4] Political commentator Vernon Small thought that the government would likely try and combine the local elections with the asset sales referendum,[5] but this did not happen.

Instead, the referendum was held via postal ballot between 22 November and 13 December.