Nash: It's time Bay had e-voting

21ST CENTURY: Napier MP Stuart Nash says e-voting is the way forward. Photo / File

Napier MP Stuart Nash sees no logic in not offering Hawke's Bay councils the chance to participate in an online voting trial.

The e-vote pilot will be held during next year's local government elections. However, the recent amalgamation poll prevented any local councils from putting their hand up to be involved.

Mr Nash said it just made sense that the region's councils should be a part of the trial.

"There has been such a focus on Hawke's Bay by the Electoral Commission that they would have all their systems in place to push the 'go' button," he said.

"But to say that we can't participate in online voting or can't be a part of the trial because of the amalgamation vote is nonsense."

Electoral officer Warwick Lampp said the reason no Hawke's Bay councils had been considered was they had to commit to the e-vote pilot before the reorganisation poll was finalised.

"Therefore, there was a chance that the councils wouldn't exist," he said.

That was the view of the Department of Internal Affairs, he said.

Despite that, e-vote proponent Mr Nash said online polling was the way forward, especially with a generation who did everything via the web.

"This generation, they do things online," he said.

"It's how they buy their groceries, keep in touch with their friends. They don't send letters, they send emails."

That was why the MP had championed the issue, because "anything that encourages people to participate in the democratic process has got to be good".

He said, however, both methods were still useful because postal voting was all that some people knew.

Mr Nash said he was not too sure whether it would increase the number of those who voted.

"But keep in mind those who tend not to vote are those under the age of 24," he said.

"So anything that can encourage them to participate has got to be a good thing."

If approved by the Government, online voting will be put to the test at the next local body elections, with eight councils signing up for the trail.

They are Selwyn District Council, Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council, Masterton District Council, Palmerston North City Council, Wanganui District Council, Rotorua Lakes Council and Matamata-Piako District Council.