Wellington 'out of step' with only one special voting booth

Wellington only has one location for special voting. Photo / File

A Wellington mayoral candidate says the capital city is out of step with other main centres around the country because it only has one special voting booth.

Special voting is for situations like if someone hasn't enrolled, they haven't received their voting pack in the post, or if a pack has been damaged or lost.

In Wellington City, the only physical location where people can do this is at Te Pokapū Hapori Community Centre on Manners St.

Dunedin, Hamilton, and Auckland will all have several locations where special voting is available, and in Christchurch there will be as many as nine.

Wellington mayoral candidate Tory Whanau said the capital should have more than one special voting booth to make it easier and fairer for people to vote in this year's local body elections.

"We know that students and young people in particular have to move around a lot, which means some people miss out on voting.

"Having only one special voting booth that allows people to vote then and there just doesn't make sense and doesn't ensure a fair and democratic process."

Wellington mayoral candidate Tory Whanau. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Whanau said special voting booths should be established at university campuses, libraries, and community centres near major public transport routes.

"We are the capital city; it is a bit strange that we only have one location."

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council was looking into the logistics of setting up more booths for special votes.

"We'll be able to say more in the next few weeks."

Across the country, voter turnout at local elections has declined over the past three decades to 42.2 per cent in 2019.

Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association engagement vice president Katherine Blow was surprised and disappointed only one special voting location was currently planned.

"Students are less likely to be enrolled to vote and therefore less likely to vote.

"As a demographic they move around a lot, so they change their address often, as that comes with renting."

Blow said it was an equity issue.

"If we're actually going to try and address the disparity between older voters and younger voters, getting those special voting boxes out there are really important."