Wairarapa-based Green MP Celia Wade-Brown is calling an extension to the voting period for South Wairarapa’s Māori ward election and referendum after a publishing error.
Māori ward candidate profiles were left out of voting packs, which affected candidates labelled a “serious failure of democratic process”.
The voting period is determined by the Local Electoral Act and any changes have previously required legislative amendments.
Wade-Brown and fellow Green MP Hūhana Lyndon have written to external electoral officers after Māori ward candidate profiles were left out of voting packs in South Wairarapa, Whanganui, Ōpōtiki, and Manawatū.
The publishing error in South Wairarapa was acknowledged by Electionz which has apologised to candidates and voters.
Affected Māori ward voters have been sent letters containing the candidate profiles.
Wade-Brown, the Green Party spokesperson for democracy and electoral reform, said extending the voting period for the Māori ward referendum and election would allow people to make their decisions with all the information they should have received from the start.
“People won’t be able to appreciate the full value of Māori wards without knowing anything about the people running for them,” Wade-Brown said.
“We believe that failing to extend the voting period for the referendum could undermine its validity and trigger an inquiry under the Local Electoral Act.”
Under the Local Electoral Act, any candidate or any 10 electors with a complaint about the conduct of an election or poll may file a petition in the relevant district court demanding an inquiry into the issue be heard and determined by a Judge.
The Act also stated that electoral officers who received candidate profile statements “must ensure that all prescribed requirements concerning the publication, display, or distribution of candidate profile statements to electors at the election are complied with”.
“Any failure by an electoral officer to comply with this section does not invalidate an election,” the Act stated.
Wade-Brown said Māori wards were created to ensure Māori had a seat at the council table and a voice in locally-made decisions.
“Communities deserve to have the full picture and be completely across what is at stake with this referendum before making a decision.
“This referendum is massive for our democracy. All we are asking for is that this is done properly.”
Whanganui District Council on Friday ruled out spending $70,000 of ratepayer money to send missing Māori ward candidate profiles to all voters after the statements were left out of voting packs.
“The council has considered sending the candidate profiles ourselves,” council chief executive David Langford said
“However, I don’t think our community will think that is a good use of ratepayer funding when there are lower-cost and more effective ways to promote participation in the referendum.”
Local elections voting opened on Tuesday. A Māori ward referendum is being held at 42 councils.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
