Editorial: Use poll to have your say

New Zealanders are lucky enough to live in a democracy, sadly most of us are too lazy to do so.

Sit back, relax and get the popcorn. It's going to be an entertaining election year.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, October this year the local body elections will be held.

Elections are for everyone. If you're happy - vote to make sure you keep the leaders you want. If you're unhappy - vote for change.

In yesterday's Rotorua Daily Post we revealed Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers (RDRR) group had endorsed six council candidates it hoped would topple mayor Steve Chadwick and councillors come voting day.

The candidates are incumbent councillor Peter Bentley, former councillor Julie Calnan, Rotorua Lakes Community Board member John Dyer, Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar, Grey Power Rotorua president Rosemary MacKenzie and financial adviser John Visser.

They will stand with the group's mayoral candidate Dr Reynold Macpherson.

Having a group standing under a "ticket" isn't something we are used to in Rotorua but only the results will tell if it will work for them.

New Zealanders are lucky enough to live in a democracy where they get to vote and their vote counts.

Sadly, in Rotorua most of us are too lazy to do so.

At the last elections in 2013 just 43 per cent of us voted. That was 1 per cent less than the 2007 voting tally.

As the election campaign starts to heat up, let's not let everyone's hard work to get on the council, or stay on the council, go to waste.

There's just two things I wish for this election.

Firstly, it's a good, clean and vibrant fight to find the best possible people to run our city and secondly, plenty of us have our say.