Dr Bryce Edwards: The Local government rejection election

The results of the 2025 local government elections have delivered a verdict on the state of New Zealand’s democracy, and it is a damning one. The most telling statistic is not who won, but who refused to participate. As reported by Virginia Fallon in the Sunday Star Times: “This year’s local government elections have seen the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third – or 32.65% – bothering to have their say”.