Voting at new low

With four days to go until voting closes in the local body elections, only 16 out of every 100 eligible Porirua voters has returned their papers – well down on the same point in any of the past three elections.

As of Monday, 16.7 per cent of voters registered in the city had voted, compared with 18.67 per cent at the same stage in 2013.

In the Northern ward 18.63 per cent of eligible voters had returned their papers, the Western ward sits at 16.95 per cent, with the Eastern ward lagging behind with 12.98 per cent.

Porirua’s voter turnout has hovered about 39 per cent for the past three elections, but in the leadup to this year’s final ballot on October 8 it seems the electorate is especially sluggish.

Across the Lower North Island, the only district that has returned marginally more votes than at the same point last time is Central Hawke’s Bay.

In April, the Government axed a proposed online voting trial for local body elections.

Associate Local Government Minister Louise Upston said more work was needed to ensure the trial met public and government expectations.

There are two campaigns under way to boost voter turnout, one by Local Government NZ and another by Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington and Hutt city councils and Kapiti Coast District Council.