Aucklanders slow to vote in local body elections

Auckland voters have been slow out of the blocks to vote in the local body elections.

After an extremely slow start last week, the vote is sneaking up towards the turnout of 38.5 per cent in 2016. This is a long way short of the 51 per cent turnout in 2010 when Len Brown and John Banks battled it out to be the first mayor of the Super City.

Electoral officer Dale Ofsoske said mail deliveries on alternate days has had an impact. He only received his voting papers last Wednesday — five days after they went out.

“If more electors received them a couple of days later than in 2016 it stands to reason the returns may well pick up a couple days later,” he said.

The voting document returns today show 11.29 per cent, or 120,250 people, have voted. This is 74 per cent of the 15.2 per cent at the same time in 2016. Voting returns have passed 14 per cent in several areas, including Howick, Waiuku, Hibiscus Coast, Waiheke and Warkworth, with the highest returns at 15.5 per cent.

In several areas voting is below 10 per cent, including Henderson, Massey, Kaipatiki, Manurewa, Otara and Papatoetoe. Mangere and Otahuhu have the lowest turnout of 8.4 per cent. Fewer people tend to vote in South Auckland and poorer suburbs.

Auckland Council’s head of democracy services, Marguerite Delbet, said people need to get voting papers in the post by next Tuesday to ensure they make it to the electoral officer in time. Voting closes at midday on Saturday, October 12.