Shadbolt factor said to boost voter numbers
Invercargill’s voter turnout at local body elections is consistently higher than the national average and the ‘‘Shadbolt factor’’ has been cited as a reason.
City councillor Darren Ludlow, one of three people standing against incumbent mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, believes up to 70 per cent of eligible voters could vote in October.
If correct, it would be 10 per cent higher than in any of the last four local body elections, when there was a 60 per cent turnout in the city in 2010.
‘‘Invercargill has always batted above the average [for voter turnout] and part of that is the Shadbolt factor,’’ Ludlow said.
The turnout was higher in Invercargill when Shadbolt had real competition and when voters had big issues to consider, he said.
Ludlow believed the turnout might reach the 70s because he and deputy mayor Rebecca Amundsen were challenging Shadbolt and the controversial Southland-wide recycling issue was top of voters minds.
In 2007, Invercargill’s voter turnout was 52 per cent when Corey Vreugdenhil stood against Shadbolt.
In 2010, well-known entertainer Suzanne Prentice challenged Shadbolt and the voter turnout jumped to 60 per cent.
In 2013 there was just a 47 per cent turnout when Shadbolt saw off Lindsay Dow and Kevin Middleton.
In 2016, when Southland television personality Tom Conroy and city councillor Karen Arnold challenged Shadbolt, the turnout jumped to 55 per cent.
Shadbolt did not immediately return calls.
Amundsen put the higher turnout in 2016, compared to 2013, down to there being more forums for candidates to speak at in 2016.
‘‘And in 2016 there was a lot more call from the community for change.’’
The Invercargill voting figures, although higher than the national average, were still terrible, she said.
‘‘Nearly half the population that can vote are not voting.’’
The figures also show the Gore District Council traditionally has a higher voter turnout than the national average.
Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks believed this was because of its small community being engaged in the issues and connected to each other. ‘‘People are interested in what’s going on.’’
The turnouts increased when the mayoralty was contested in Gore, he said.
Figures for the Southland District Council show voter turnout to be variable during the past four elections, from a low of 39 per cent in 2010 to a high of 49 per cent in 2013.
Southland District Mayor Gary Tong did not immediately return calls.