Councils turn to TikTok and memes to lift falling local election turnout - Editorial

Whakatāne District Council staff in their viral TikTok video aiming to boost voter turnout.

THE FACTS

• Low voter turnout has led councils to use social media trends to engage younger voters.
• Whakatāne District Council’s TikTok dance gained over 133,000 views, aiming to boost voter participation.
• Critics worry this approach may trivialise elections, but others praise the fresh, engaging strategy.

Stubbornly low voter turnout, especially among younger adults, has driven local elections into the realm of social media trends.

Whakatāne District Council staff made headlines with their risqué dance moves that garnered more than 133,000 views on TikTok in just a few days.

For them, the dream was to chase voters - a record number of voters in fact - not fame.

Whakatāne’s dance troupe is not alone.

Northland’s four councils - Kaipara, Far North and Whangārei district councils plus the regional council - joined forces to create tongue-in-cheek memes to help draw voters in.

Councils are scrambling to turn scrolling into voting as an attempt to buoy the sinking voter turnout.

Since the nationwide restructuring of local government in 1989, voter turnout in local body elections dropped from 56% to 42% in 2022. Participation among young adults barely cracked 32% last election.

But is jumping on the viral video bandwagon to revive civic engagement cringe or clever? Does it risk trivialising the seriousness of local government?

Critics can argue gyrating around ballot bins may dilute the importance of local elections or give the impression councils are more about entertainment than substance - repelling traditional voters.

But on the flip side, councils are being commended for finding more humour, personality, and banter online.

A “State of Govt Social Media 2025″ report by former journalist, council communications manager and now content and channels consultant, Seamus Boyer, praised councils for their fresh online approach.

The report - based on Boyer trawling through more than 630 New Zealand council and government social media pages - reckons councils’ use of humour and tailored social media content is improving engagement.

But engagement doesn’t always mean action, as Auckland Council found out in its 2019 behavioural insights trial focused on increasing voter turnout in Auckland local government elections.

While the trial didn’t include social media - instead evaluating offline behavioural nudges - it acknowledged the platform as a promising tool to reach younger voters less engaged with generic reminders.

However, identity-based messaging that tapped into personal agency proved one of the more effective strategies tested to drive engagement.

For example, the “Your vote could be the decider” message increased turnout by 2.8% for non-Māori and 3.2% for Māori.

So, while Instagram reels and TikTok clips can grab attention, what really needs to be at the forefront is a message tied to civic purpose.

More so, social media cannot fix voter apathy alone.

While a racy dance with a sign telling you to vote might light a spark, councils need to ensure a wider strategy is in play to turn the tide of voter turnout. Voting needs to be accessible and people need to understand the importance of voting in local elections.

While Whakatāne District Council’s viral video hasn’t changed the world, it has shown young voters that local government can be fun and relevant.