But as this editorial posited last week, the fact they were doing a decent enough job in the eyes of would-be voters could have been part of the reason there wasn't a rush on at the booths in this region.
Thankfully disinformation campaigns largely floundered in Hawke's Bay - no candidates with obvious links to conspiracy theories, the Parliament protest and groups like Voices for Freedom got the votes they needed.
Caution and vigilance is still needed though. Voters shouldn't so much pat themselves on the back as we should breath a sigh of relief.
After all, Melanie Petrowski, well known in the community for her 2021 protests against Covid vaccination, still managed to convince more than 2000 people in Hastings to vote for her.
The lack of quality candidates to unseat the status quo really shone through.
In the Heretaunga race for regional council seats, respected newcomers in Jock Mackintosh and Xan Harding and Hastings council seat swapper Sophie Seers each rode in on Saturday at the expense of political veteran Craig Foss.
The additions to Hastings council of high-profile historian Michael Fowler, community board member Marcus Buddo, and Henry Heke in Flaxmere look like sound ones.
There will be intrigue and, in some quarters, trepidation, at the new Māori ward councillors, but I wish them the best of luck.
They will have a reasonable amount of power at the table given the amount of votes each received, but this is inherently what the system is designed for - to allow tangata whenua a guaranteed representation to guide some of the most important decisions in the city.
Napier City Council faced heavy criticism for not voting for Māori wards in 2022, and sure enough, at first glance, its council doesn't appear to represent the diversity of the city.
Napier, as well as Central Hawke's Bay and Tararua, which also have yet to introduce them, will now have to be mindful of that with every decision they make this term.
One other thing to note is that the vote was a blow for the Government's Three Waters reforms, which will face strong opposition, and in many cases hatred, from this crop of councillors.
This could be a big and unhealthy distraction for Hawke's Bay and perhaps it is time for Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta and co to finally hit the backtrack button.
Given the lessons learned from Havelock North, it's hard to believe water infrastructure will suffer from being in local hands a little longer until a more palatable compromise is found.
Hawke's Bay is a thriving region, but it has huge challenges to face over the next three years in housing, inequality, its environment and its water and transport infrastructure.
The status quo has been trusted with these issues. Now it's time for them to step up and fix them.
