[1] Only two of the 45 councils with current or proposed Māori wards voted against holding a poll to determine their future.

Several councils said they wanted to look into legal advice with regards to ignoring the government's requirement to hold polls.

[2] Tauranga City Council is not holding a referendum because they already held local elections recently in 2024.

[4] Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua appealed the decision of the Kaipara District Council to abolish its Māori wards rather than hold a referendum, losing in the High Court in December 2024.

[2] The referendums followed a period of increased pro-Māori activism (including Hīkoi mō te Tiriti), spurred on by perceived anti-Māori policies by central government.