Voter interference alleged
Police investigating after claim about Sth Auck byelection
The police are being brought in to investigate an allegation of voter interference at an Auckland Council byelection for the Māngere-Ō¯tāhuhu Local Board.
One of the candidates, Malcolm Turner of the right-leaning Communities & Residents ticket, says he has had several reports of a person knocking on doors and asking to collect householders’ voting papers.
In a complaint to the electoral officer, Dale Ofsoske, Turner said an elderly resident “thought this may have been a candidate but could not confirm”.
In one of the allegations filed with Ofsoske, one person from Māngere Bridge said a man “made the elderly fill in their paperwork and hand it to [him]”.
Another one of the filed allegations said: “Something strange happened Thursday night at my mother’s in Māngere Bridge. A Polynesian man knocked on my mother’s door 7pm asking if she receive[d] the election papers ... he asked if he could take it as he was collecting them.”
In a press statement on the C & R website, Turner said “three residents had confirmed the identity of the person and unfortunately it is alleged to be a candidate”. He declined to name the candidate.
Ofsoske yesterday said he had received the complaint and under electoral law would refer the matter to the police to investigate.
The candidates’ information guide says “voting documents should not be collected from electors by candidates or their assistants. Each elector should post or deliver their own voting document to the electoral officer”.
There are six candidates standing in the byelection: Sharon Bragg (independent), Phil Bridge (NZ Outdoors Party), Christian Malietoa-Brown, Papaliitele Lafulafu Peo (Labour), Elnez Tofa, Malcolm Turner (Communities & Residents).
Voting packs went out last Tuesday, January 26, and voting closes at noon on February 17.
The byelection followed the resignation of Labour’s Dr Neru Leavasa — one of four new Pasifika MPs elected to Parliament last October.