Concern over vote returns

A lack of engagement and ineffective campaigning from candidates are contributing to decreasing voter turnout in South Canterbury, a political scientist says.

With two weeks until the end of the elections, the region’s three districts have all recorded lower voter return figures than in previous elections.

As of September 26, 20.24 per cent of voting forms for the Timaru District had been completed and returned.

That was down on the same time during the 2013 election, when the return rate was 22.74 per cent, and the 2010 election, when it was 25.99 per cent.

Mackenzie and Waimate have also recorded lower return rates than previous elections.

A total of 26.05 per cent of forms had been returned in the Mackenzie District. That was a decrease from 29.17 per cent at the same time in 2013.

In the Waimate District, returns dropped from 23.64 per cent in 2013 to 20.19 per cent this year.

University of Otago political scientist Dr Bryce Edwards said the ‘‘worrying’’ trend was being seen around the country.

‘‘It happens in parliamentary elections as well as local government elections,’’ he said.

‘‘People are less enamoured with politics.’’

While voter apathy was not limited to local government, there were some specific problems with local government elections this time around, he said.

‘‘There’s no big issues that are inspiring the public to be involved.

‘‘In the absence of big ideas, the public has become a bit more divorced, more alienated.’’

The effectiveness, or lack thereof, of campaigning efforts was also a factor, he said.

‘‘I do think that’s been a big part of the problem.’’

Candidates tended to talk in ‘‘rather meaningless generalisations and cliches’’, making it difficult for voters to determine the differences between them.

‘‘It can be quite bewildering, really trying to decipher it and make sense of it,’’ Edwards said.

There was no ‘‘silver bullet’’ to magically fix the problem, he said.

However, one way of addressing it could be to increase the involvement of political parties in local government elections, he believed.

‘‘People don’t want to be seen as strongly political, which I think is counter intuitive to what democracy’s about.’’

Having candidates aligned with political parties could make it easier for people to understand their policy positions, he said.

‘‘You get a better sense of what you’re getting.’’

Timaru District Council electoral officer Mark Low said voter turnout was ‘‘a little lower’’ than usual.

There could be a myriad of reasons why voter turnout was lower at this stage in the election process, he said.

‘‘It all comes down to the buzz it’s generating,’’ he said. ‘‘It is what it is.’’ He encouraged people to make sure they got their voting papers in on time.

‘‘It’s what democracy about.’’

The Timaru District’s overall voter turnout has also dropped in recent years, from 56.53 per cent in 2010 to 51.16 per cent in 2013.

In contrast, the Waimate District’s overall turnout has been on the rise.

A total of 55.04 per cent of eligible voters turned out at the last election, compared to 51.93 per cent in 2010.

The Mackenzie District has the second highest voter turnout in the country in 2013, with 63.37 per cent of forms returned. is all