Voting in New Zealand local government elections: The need to encourage greater voter turnout

• Published in: Commonwealth journal of local governance no. 24; pp. 79 - 97
• Main Authors: Asquith, Andy, Webster, Karen, Cardow, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sydney U T S ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) 01-06-2021; UTS ePRESS
• Subjects: Age; Baby boomers; Central government; citizen engagement; Citizen participation; Democracy; Elections; Financial literacy; Governmental reform; Influence; Local elections; Local government; New Zealand; Planning; Politics; Public finance; Public relations; Social aspects; Voter behavior; Voter turnout; Voting; New Zealand
• ISSN: 1836-0394; 1836-0394
• DOI: 10.5130/cjlg.vi24.7541

Within a global context, local government in New Zealand occupies an enviable position: it enjoys both a statutorily-defined 'power of general competence' and financial autonomy from central government. However, despite this, voter turnout rates in New Zealand local elections continue to fall as ever fewer New Zealanders engage in this fundamental act of civic engagement. This review article examines the decline in voting over the last four New Zealand local government elections (2010/13/16/19). It aims to do three things: plot the decline; identify and analyse the causes of this decline; and suggest ways in which the decline might be countered. The authors reach the conclusion that local government in New Zealand is at a crossroads - it will either be rejuvenated as a source of local democracy and prosper, or decline into an administrative arm of central government.