·       Voting is now open in the InternetNZ Board election and closes at 12 noon on Monday 10 August. Democracy Action encourages all InternetNZ members to participate.

·       If you value an internet that is open, accessible, reliable, and respectful of freedom of expression, we recommend supporting Douglas Brown and Jillaine Heather for the InternetNZ

Why Democracy Action recommends supporting these candidates

InternetNZ manages New Zealand's .nz domain name system. It has management responsibility for around 750,000 .nz domain names used by businesses, community organisations, government agencies, and individuals across the country.

InternetNZ has traditionally focused on ensuring that the internet remains secure, reliable, and accessible for everyone. In recent years, however, many members have become concerned that the organisation has increasingly taken positions on social and political issues that fall outside its core responsibilities. There are concerns that decisions affecting members and domain holders have become influenced by ideological considerations.

Some members are concerned that InternetNZ's recent governance decisions could discourage viewpoint diversity or lead to people being sanctioned because of their views. These concerns have been heightened by the Board's recent discussion of who should be eligible to become or remain a member.

At the heart of the debate is a simple but important principle: organisations entrusted with managing essential public infrastructure should remain politically neutral.

Democracy Action believes InternetNZ should remain focused on its core role—managing New Zealand's .nz domain name system—and do so in a way that serves all New Zealanders equally, regardless of their political or social views.

Consistent with these principles, and having considered the candidates' published statements, Democracy Action recommends supporting Douglas Brown and Jillianne Heather for election to the InternetNZ Board. Both candidates express a commitment to fair and transparent governance, protecting free expression, and keeping InternetNZ focused on its core mission. They support an organisation that upholds the principles of an open and inclusive internet.

Click HERE for detailed information on all candidates.

Every vote matters. If you are an InternetNZ member, please take a few minutes to cast your vote before noon Monday 10 August and consider ranking Douglas Brown (1) and Jillaine Heather (2).

 Here is how to cast your vote. (N.B. You must be a current member of InternetNZ).

1. Look for an email from electionz.com ([email protected]). It contains your personal voting link.
2. Open it and click through to the ballot. You will see all nine candidates.
3. This is a ranked vote. Instead of ticking one name, number the candidates in order of preference.
4. Democracy Action recommends ranking Douglas Brown 1 and ranking Jillaine Heather 2. There is no need to rank any other candidates. 
5. Submit your ballot, and you are done!

REFERENCES

·       InternetNZ's Public Policy Agenda

·       InternetNZ strategy 2026–2031

·       InternetNZ Constitution FAQs

·       InternetNZ news and articles

·       Minutes from InternetNZ's 12 June 2026 Board meeting

MEDIA COVERAGE

Centrist: InternetNZ moves to limit who can vote after Free Speech Union recruited 2,400 members

Free Speech Union media release: InternetNZ's Flawed Constitutional Changes Danger to Free Internet

Go back to the July 2026 newsletter