Communication key to increasing voting: Gisborne Mayor

Gisborne Mayor and Local Government NZ vice-president Rehette Stoltz.

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz believes improved communication is key to lifting interest in local body elections as voter turnout nationwide looks set to be down again.

More than 200 candidates in elections around New Zealand have won by default as voting in local body elections ends on Saturday.

Stoltz, speaking on Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB, said that was not the case in Tairāwhiti.

Hosking had asked Stoltz in her capacity as vice-president of Local Government NZ if the national situation was “depressing”.

“It is depressing, but here in Tairawhiti we have an active election with 30 people standing for 13 seats,” Stoltz said.

Stoltz made the point that local body elections in this region were generally contested.

“There was a woman here who stood unopposed for many years in one of our rural wards because she did a bloody fantastic job.”

They also discussed the low voter turnout so far around the country, including Tairāwhiti.

As of Monday morning, the region’s voting percentage was around 24%.

“That trend has been going down and down since 1989,” she said.

Hosking said “most people don’t give a monkey’s about voting because they are lazy”.

Stoltz said there were several issues affecting it.

“We’re using the old postal system and there’s a lack of interest and faith in local government.”

She pointed to the need for better communication.

“If we do consistent marketing going forward with local body elections, like everyone knows the ‘Orange Man’ when it comes to general election voting, communication would be improved.

“We do need to get people more interested because if you vote or not, the result is still going to be part of your life.”