Salt and Tonic director Matt Browning. Photo / Andrew Warner
Salt and Tonic director Matt Browning. Photo / Andrew Warner
Some council candidates choosing not to use an app developed to give voters another way to engage with candidates say the choice relates to questions being anonymous.
The app (S)elect was launched on August 22 and allows users to read Rotorua District Council candidate bios and ask themquestions directly online, both collectively, and individually. It was developed by local developer Salt + Tonic in partnership with Rotorua Lakes Council and the Business Chamber.
Questions are anonymous and monitored to ensure they are not rude, hateful, or repetitive.
Just seven of the 33 council candidates have not answered any questions on the app.
Three said it was because they had concerns about the anonymity of question askers and the independence of the platform.
Tapsell also said because the council advertised the app she was concerned voters perceived it as the only place to get candidate information, and were not aware the app was voluntary.
Tapsell said candidates were told the app would contain their official 150-word statement.
However, hers initially did not, instead including information that she was a past National Party candidate.
"Once I raised this it was corrected immediately, and an apology issued."
Tapsell said she instead engaged in person and online and delivered brochures and erected billboards.
"If elected mayor I will continue working hard to engage with and respond to residents as I have done so not only during this election, but also the past nine years as a councillor."
Fellow current councillor Sandra Kai Fong, who Tapsell has indicated she will appoint deputy mayor if both are elected, said engagement with the app was not compulsory and it was only one tool.
She chose to not use any form of online engagement and preferred to meet and talk to people.
Her concerns included that the public had not initially been made aware the use of the app was voluntary, but the app had later been updated to provide that information.
She was also concerned about the anonymity of questions, which were moderated by "an unknown person" and questions may be directed only to some candidates.
Kai Fong said she had always been accessible and answered questions when asked.
Both Tapsell and Kai Fong said they had raised their concerns with the Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive and Rotorua Business Chamber.
Kai Fong also contacted the returning officer and Tapsell had contacted the developer.
Fisher Wang was also not using the platform.
"I fully support and think it's great and encourage local app development.
''However, I didn't feel confident enough of the independent and non-partisan nature of the platform, especially being an election platform funded by ratepayers."
He was also concerned about the anonymity of question askers and the moderating process.
Wang said he had connected with the community at candidates forums, through the media, social media, answering questions and by meeting community members and he would continue to engage with the community.
Trevor Maxwell is a candidate on the Māori Ward and said the reason he did not use the app was he had been responding to people who directly contacted him and at candidate evenings.
He said it was not that he did not want to answer, but that the digital world was "a whole new ball game".
Maxwell did not have any concerns about the app and said he would have learned how to use it if he had had more time as he did not find it easy to operate.
All candidates who responded said their choice to not answer questions on the app had not been influenced by anyone else who had chosen not to.
The last day for voting in the local elections is this Saturday. Photo / Laura Smith
Local business Salt and Tonic were the app developer and director Matt Browning said he was rapt with the engagement.
It had more than 130,000 page views, more than 2500 unique users, and an average engagement time of over 18 minutes per person.
"Which is phenomenal for any app, and it indicates to us that people have been doing their research into the candidates standing - which we're really pleased to see.
"Over the last four weeks we have received many direct messages from people telling us that it has influenced or changed who they voted for, and we are thrilled that this new tool has been used so widely and positively."
He said the app was created to provide a more in-depth platform for the public to know who they're voting for, beyond billboards and forum evenings.
"We also wanted to provide an equal and fair platform for all candidates to respond to questions from the community, including not needing to answer the same question multiple times."
Browning said they had been thanked by people unable to attend forum evenings, for the way the tool had allowed them to engage with candidates.
Rotorua Business Chamber chief executive Bryce Heard declined to comment other than saying there was a decision between the three parties involved in the app to keep questions anonymous so long as they were fair, genuine and related to policy.
Both the chamber and council paid for an independent moderator.
Greg Kieck, Rotorua Lakes Council district leadership and democracy acting deputy chief executive, said the council had a role to promote the election and voter participation.
"As part of that role we have promoted the app as an additional way for people to engage in the election and to encourage them to vote.
"It is up to candidates to decide if they want to engage with the app or not."
