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Voting in this year’s local elections opens on Tuesday, September 9, and Aucklanders are being invited to learn about candidates.
They can find out who to vote for by using the Vote Auckland online candidate catalogue.
The candidate catalogue helps voters learn which ward and local board areas they’re voting in and who is standing for their area.
It’s described as being like a ‘Yellow Pages’ of elections candidates, with individual information that includes their policies and priorities for Auckland.
The candidates have supplied their own short statements for the catalogue so voters can get a real flavour about them and their aspirations, if elected, for the next three years.
Auckland Council’s general manager governance and engagement, Lou-Ann Ballantyne, says the catalogue will be a great help to voters.
“Take a few minutes to learn a bit about who the candidates are, and which ones deserve your vote.
“Because if you don’t vote, someone else will choose who represents you and your area.
“We’ve often heard people say they don’t vote because they don’t know who any of these people are.
“Elected members are important people in our community and region, but they may not have the same instant recognition as TV or movie stars.
“That aside, your vote could make a difference to the way local decisions are made about your area’s busy library, pools and leisure centres, parks and sports fields, public transport, infrastructure, and much more.
“Remember, it’s not just about voting for the mayor. Decisions for Tāmaki Makaurau are made by the council’s governing body, that’s the mayor and 20 councillors, and our 21 local boards.”
Here’s how people can easily find out who they might vote for:
- Visit voteauckland.co.nz/en/information-for-voters/candidates.html
- If you know your ward and local board area, click on it to view the candidates and their profiles, or enter your home address to see the candidates you can vote for.
- Filter your search by looking at candidates for each position: mayoral, ward councillor, local board member and licensing trust.
- Filters are also available by topics, such as transport, natural environment and more, so you can compare and contrast candidates by their priorities.
Once people have an idea of who they might vote for, all they need to do is sit back and wait for their voting papers to arrive between September 9-22.
Tick the names of the people you think can best represent you, pop your paper into the return envelope and drop your vote at your nearest vote box.
You’ll find all vote box locations mapped out at: voteauckland.co.nz/wheretovote
If your papers don’t arrive, pop into select libraries across the region, or a Vote-on-the-Go where you can enrol and cast a special vote on the spot.
Vote-on-the-Gos will be held at markets, community centres, universities, marae and many other locations.
All the details are online at: voteauckand.co.nz/wheretovote
