Newstalk ZB news director and local government reporter Michael Sergel told The Front Page that, as of last week, the turnout was 18%, compared to about 10.5% at the same time in the previous elections.
“Voting is quite a bit higher in rural and provincial areas, and Māori wards, than it is in general areas. That’s normal and happens every time. We’ve got a much lower turnout in Carteron and a much higher one in Wairoa.
“Looking at the latest metro numbers from this week, some cities with lower voter turnout last time, like Hamilton and Wellington. But, there’s no real change in big cities, like Auckland and Christchurch,” he said.
More than 200 people will be elected unopposed at this weekend’s local elections - on par with recent elections but well down on past decades.
Analysis of more than 7000 council races at five local elections shows more than one in seven have not required a vote.
Clutha, Southland, Hurunui, Gore, Ōtorohanga, Buller, Chatham Islands, and Whanganui have had the most races without votes.
Sergel said by-elections have to be held for dozens of races with no candidates.
“There is a range of factors potentially at play. Certainly, abuse and harassment put a lot of people off. Low pay as well, because some of these positions might only get paid $10,000 for 30 or 40 hours a week of work.
“Many roles have no candidates. In this election alone, we’ve got positions on community boards in Whakatāne, Wellington, Rotorua Lakes, New Plymouth, rural Hastings, Hamner Springs, Mackenzie and Gore.
“These are roles that have to be filled, so they’re subject to by-elections most likely next year. The local ratepayers will then have to pay for those by-elections, which will cost tens of thousands or potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Ironically, these by-elections tend to be far more competitive than the main local elections because people suddenly realise there are these jobs up for grabs,” he said.
Local elections are on Saturday, October 11. Voting closes at midday and preliminary results should be released throughout the afternoon and evening.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- What councils could merge;
- Whether there are too many positions;
- Key contests to watch;
- Candidate demographics;
- The nature of local government.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting, who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
