The low voter turnout in Auckland got a boost today when 5.6 per cent of votes were returned - putting the final vote on track to equal the vote in 2016.
After a slow start to postal voting, the vote for the Super City has been tracking towards the 2016
voter turnout of 38.5 per cent.
With four days of voting until the ballots close at noon on Saturday, 22.6 per cent of voting papers have been returned, compared to 24.4 per cent at the same time in 2016.
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Local Government expert Elizabeth Hughes said many councils are making a heroic effort to increase voter turnout at this election, including Hamilton, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Tauranga and councils in the Hawkes Bay.
In Hamilton, the number of votes returned so far is up more than 4 per cent on last time with 25.3 per cent or 26,000 counted so far. Hamilton City Council has been making a big effort to encourage voter turnout, including spending $15,000 on a meet-the-candidate event and mayoral debate hosted by TV journalist Mike McRoberts. Hamilton had the worst voter turnout of all metropolitan centres in 2016.
The voter turnout in Whangarei is also tracking well, with 28.2 per cent of votes returned so far.
She said several factors drove voter turnout, including a really good mayoral contest and local issues that polarise people.
Hughes said sadly local government was becoming less and less relevant to the man and the woman in the street, even though it affects a lot of what they use and do.
"People do not just feel that local government has relevance to them because of the distance between them and the decision-making process on decisions that affect them," she said.
Hughes said she would like to see community boards and, in Auckland's case, Local Boards, given more powers, and councils engaging with communities early in the process on local projects.
Auckland Council's democracy services general manager Marguerite Delbet said time is running out for Aucklanders to have their say at this year's local elections.
People who miss today's postal deadline can still vote by dropping their papers into one of the many ballot boxes across Auckland by midday on Saturday.
Locations include libraries, Auckland Council service centres, Britomart train station and One Stop Shops.
Auckland organisations can arrange to have a mobile ballot box sent to their workplace by calling the Auckland Council elections team on 09 977 5981.
Mobile boxes are also being sent to a number of hospitals, marae and community centres.
If people don't have voting papers or their voting papers are damaged, they can still have their say by casting a special vote.
These can be cast at five libraries, nine Council service centres, or the Independent Election Services office.
The One Stop Shop initiative allows people to enrol and vote at the same time.
Ten more One Stop Shops will pop up across the city before voting closes.
A list of locations is available at the elections website, voteauckland.co.nz.
