Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has issued a draft position paper on election reform to increase voter turnout. Photo: RNZ / Eveline Harvey
Local government leaders are pushing for postal voting to be replaced with a voting booth system, saying it is vital for the future of local elections.
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has issued a draft position paper on election reform, making 20 recommendations for the 2028 local elections to help increase voter turnout.
LGNZ Electoral Reform Group chair and Nelson mayor, Nick Smith, believed New Zealand could no longer continue with postal voting as the status quo.
"Moving to in-person polling booth voting for local elections offers the best opportunity to ensure the future integrity of our voting system," he said.
"It should be a nationally consistent system that's as close an experience for the voter as possible to parliamentary elections, with a two-week timeframe in which to vote.
"We believe this could be the single-biggest - and most fundamental - change to local elections that we can make."
Postal voting was becoming increasingly untenable as a voting method, due to postal volumes collapsing and a range of other factors, Smith said.
"While online voting is often suggested as a viable alternative, attempts over the past three decades to trial it for local elections have been unsuccessful - largely due to security or cost issues."
LGNZ Electoral Reform Group chair and Nelson Mayor Nick Smith. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
LGNZ was also recommending local and central government terms be increased from three years to four, with elections spaced two years apart.
Smith said LGNZ wanted the Electoral Commission to take over running local government elections.
"Isn't it better for the integrity of our elections that it's managed at arms length, and that's why we think it's a no-brainer to run with the Electoral Commission," he said.
"People understand the habit of going to their library or supermarket or mall with the way the Electoral Commission today runs polling booth voting. Let's just make voting for local elections exactly the same voter experience, we know that system works."
Smith said the level of participation in local body elections was now well below 50 percent, which was a huge concern.
With local elections set to take place on 11 October this year, the report called for the draft recommendations to be made for the 2028 local elections.
The Electoral Reform Working Group was asking for public feedback on the draft position paper, either via the LGNZ website or by emailing - electoralreform@lgnz.co.nz.
It said consultation would close on 28 April, with a final position paper to be made public in July this year.
Smith said in the meantime, councils should continue to make short-term improvements to support participation in this year's local elections.
"Councils should continue to promote standing and voting in their regions, as well as offering alternative drop off points to post boxes - such as 'orange bins' at supermarkets and drive through drop off points," he said.
"We saw 86 percent of voters use council delivered alternatives to post boxes at the recent 2024 Tauranga City Council elections, so there's evidence that providing convenient drop off points makes it easier for people to deliver their ballot."
Steadily declining voter turnouts in local elections over the past three decades prompted the formation of the Electoral Reform Working Group to investigate potential solutions.
"A participation rate of less than half of eligible voters is an existential threat to local government. Reform is needed now to strengthen the democratic mandate local government has to represent communities across New Zealand," Smith said.
"We received 57 submissions back on the Issues Paper we released in last October, including from 19 councils, the Green Party, Local Government Commission, NZ Post and Ministry of Disabled People. We welcome further discussion on these draft proposals."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
