Christie: They Haven’t Counted the Shy Tories

Although I voted on the second day of advanced voting, I am still watching the entire election campaign with great interest. This election is about swinging voters, and also the large number of ‘undecided’ voters that the polls continue to throw up. That makes it interesting.

It is possible that a portion of voters fall into the category of ‘shy Tories’ – a phenomenon discovered in the 1987 British election, when the polls showed a landslide to the left, but on the night, Margaret Thatcher won her third term. It was concluded that many people who were asked their voting intentions did not admit they were going to vote Conservative. Yet they did…in droves. The Conservatives won, when all the polls said that they were on their way out of government.

Kate Hawkesby: I don't understand the people who don't vote

I went out in search of some democracy yesterday, trying to early vote.  

I looked up on the Vote NZ website where in my area had early voting places open and what time. I headed out on a walk confident I’d found the place but as I rocked up there, the lights were out; the first bad sign. Then I saw an actual sign on the ground, blown over in the wind, it said ‘no early voting here until October 9th’.  

Francesca Rudkin: Why are there still so many undecided voters?

Driving around the country this week – mainly Auckland to the Central Plateau and back, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s only one main political party in New Zealand and a couple of minor parties. Once I left the heavily placarded suburbs of Auckland, there was a smattering of Greens, Act and Te Pati Maori signs on the side of the road, but very few for Labour.

Sean Plunket chats to Karl Le Quesne on voting and the Treaty of Waitangi

Sean Plunket talks to the Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne about voting and why his staff needs to demonstrate knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Clive Bibby: National needs to do better

 

I have never tried to disguise where my political allegiances lie. 

I am happy to admit that I have occasionally fleetingly toyed with the idea that a Labour government might be good for the country - at least for just a short term in order to get the nation back to a position where it’s founding principles are the guide to a better society. However, in the past, come poling day, nothing has ever seemed bad enough to make me take that final drastic step of ticking the red box. 

But this time the stakes are higher than ever before and l am torn between what we must consider as freedom loving kiwis and the possibility of making things worse by electing a government that is no better than “Labour Lite”. 

Steve Baron: To vote or not to vote… that is the question

I’d like to tell you about Ben. I first met Ben at Victoria University when I attended there in 2012 as a mature post graduate student. Ben had just finished his undergraduate degree and was doing the same political science post graduate paper as me. Ben is an impressive young man with a sharp intellect. He’s not a flashy know-it-all character, just determined, down to earth and like most politically minded people he wants to make a difference. Ben’s all excited now the election date has been announced and he is encouraging all of his Facebook friends to get out and vote. Being a political party zealot (member), he naturally expected everyone to vote for ‘his’ political party!

Statistics show that 25% of New Zealanders didn’t bother to vote at the last election. I suspect there will be even more who don’t bother this year, as turnout rates drop almost every election. 

Steve Baron: System means a lot of votes don't count

While 58% of Wanganui voters posted in their vote in the recent elections, around New Zealand, turnout was lower than ever before. The question I now want to ask voters is… how many of you who voted, actually wasted your vote? If your Council election do not use a system such as STV (Single Transferable Vote), then there were probably many of you.

Steve Baron: The time for internet voting has arrived

The internet has become intricately entwined in the lives of New Zealanders and has the potential to improve our democracy. A 2010 AUT study showed that as many as 83% of New Zealanders use the internet. While we can enroll to vote online and ballot papers can also be downloaded by New Zealand citizens while overseas, votes cannot be cast over the internet.

The Government, along with the Electoral Commission, appears to be dragging the chain in bringing New Zealand into line with other countries and states. New South Wales in Australia has internet voting as has Canada, France, Estonia and Switzerland.