Fewer than 3 percent of Whanganui electors have returned their voting papers so far, with turnout lagging in both the general ward and the district’s new Māori ward.
The early figures are sparking questions about whether voters are engaging with this year’s local elections and how the council intends to lift participation in the final stretch before polls close on October 11.
The Māori ward, being contested for the first time in Whanganui, is seen as a significant milestone for representation, but its turnout is tracking at the same low level as the general roll.
The tally for votes counted up to Friday, 19 September, shows 2.81% of papers returned, or 940 Whanganui votes. Of these, 2.78% or 798 votes were received for the general ward for the total 28,695 electors. For the Māori ward, 2.95% or 142 votes were received from 4810 electors.
Māori ward candidate Hayden Pōtaka was urging voters to get their voting papers to post or ballot boxes.
“We fought for Māori Wards – now we need to show up and use them,” Pōtaka said.
“All we can do is keep encouraging our whānau to take part and remind them how important their voice is in this process.”
Māori ward candidate Kiritahi Firmin said she was disappointed by the early numbers.
“We just need to do better.”
Māori ward candidate Julie Herewini said the low number for Māori roll voting was not unexpected, with returns so far mirroring the general roll.
“Given this is the first ever time we have had a Māori ward, there’s no baseline for us for voter turnout,” she said.
“While the current percentage is low, it’s on par with the general population. I do wonder if people have been waiting for the candidate statements to arrive before casting their votes.”
Māori ward candidate statements were missing from official voting packs and were being posted separately by election provider electionz to voters on the Māori roll.
“Many people have not voted in the local election before,” Herewini said. “This is still a process we are learning about, and there is still mis-information out there.
“We also know from submission processes and previous voting stats that Māori tend to participate in a wave closer to the deadline. I’m hoping that is the case.
“If not, it’s a clear sign that we have a whole lot of mahi to do to engage our people, or that despite having Māori candidates they still can’t see themselves in the process.”
Herewini said she has shifted her focus to mobilisation.
“It’s now about getting people to complete their papers and get them in the post. Voting is an opportunity for us to assert our mana motuhake within a mainstream system that has historically underserved us, and will continue to do so, unless we mobilise.”
But Herewini said postal voting was an antiquated system.
“Our people are now very used to doing things online and instantaneously … so the act of having to find a postbox is a barrier for some.”
External Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp told Local Democracy Reporting numbers would rise this week as orange voting bins were cleared.
“The first clearances were Friday and today (Monday), so the numbers should start to increase from Tuesday evening.”
Council officials say they are watching the numbers closely and continuing efforts to encourage more people to cast their votes.
Whanganui District council democracy services manager Anna Palamountain said the council expected to see “a decent bump” when voting papers from orange bins were counted for the first time this week.
Palamountain said vote returns to date could not be compared with previous elections, as there was an extra week added to the voting period this year.
“But we’d like to increase eligible voter turnout to at least 50 percent. This is an important election year, with the Māori ward referendum also on the ballot.”
Palamountain said staff were assisting people to enrol and vote on the spot at the council’s customer services area at 101 Guyton Street.
The council is also planning to host a range of ‘enrol and vote’ pop-up sessions around town over the two weeks leading up to 11 October, the final day of the election period.
Palamountain said the council was working hard to increase voter turnout, including partnering with local comedian Kajun Brooking on social media and working with Whanganui reggae band NLC, who provided the soundtrack to the council’s election campaign with their song Be Counted.
“On instruction from the electoral commission, we have been particularly targeting people from low voting cohorts, which includes Māori and young people,” Palamountain said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
