Letters: Surely that was the last local election we vote by post?

Voting this year again involved mailed ballots. Photo / Susan Botting

Local Body Elections

Surely our postal voting system for local body elections is past the “best-before” date. With such a low return, we have nothing to lose if we do something else!

Not only do we continue have a poor voting rate, but there are numerous flaws in the system. Just the fact that they are mailed out produces inherent security issues. I wonder how many papers have been left (unsecured) sitting in spider- and cockroach-infested mailboxes for the past month?

There is also no system to prove who filled in the voting paper and there is also nothing to stop one person from a household filling in multiple papers – or even worse, someone coming across unused voting papers and using them.

And if you mail in your voting paper, like I did, there is no way to be sure that the paper even made it to the ballot box.

So surely it is time to change to an online voting system? We trust our banks and other organisations with security. We pay our rates online.

There must be “off-the-shelf” systems available ... or how hard can it be to design something?

An online voting platform for local body elections could be used as a forerunner to parliamentary elections.

Anyway, congratulations to the successfully elected people – and to those who didn’t vote: don’t complain and moan about your rates, potholes, rubbish and other council issues.

David Hick, Matatā.

Political loyalty

Your correspondent Bruce Tubb is somewhat naive when he suggests the woeful lack of ability of the present coalition Government.

What he needs to take into account, if he wishes to be at all honest, is that the present Government inherited one almighty mess from six years of Labour ineptitude.

Our economy is simply reflecting that position, where it has taken until now to get unacceptable inflation in hand and to begin to see some early signs of improvement.

The truth is that some people support the same political party all their lives, irrespective of that party’s competence. This seems to be the case here.

Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.

Auckland’s poor NPC

Auckland’s no-show in the quarter-finals of this year’s NPC is painfully evident.

A case of the Blues? Who, by the way, only fared a little better in 2025. At least “they” ... the Blues ... made the semis!

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Nightmare on Great North Rd

Driving along Great North Rd currently is a dangerous nightmare.

Auckland Transport should be ashamed.

More cones and signs are urgently required, especially for night driving, or the contractor will be liable for nasty accidents.

Christo Johnstone, Grey Lynn.

Numbers game

I wonder how many MPs have visited their constituents’ homes to count the number of the residents sitting on the couch during working hours?

Not many, I guess. No votes in that! Much more fun to just make things up!

Barbara Matthews, Onehunga.

Generous Roger

In times of dire stupidity, selfishness and suffering, how delightful to see Dunedinite Roger Fewtrell give excess wealth of $25 million to people needing housing.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new trend of replacing excessive wealth going to urban helipads, rural “art” and tasteless glass box monstrosities? I live in hope – but won’t be holding my breath.

John Benseman, Titirangi.