Voting for the 2019 local body elections closed at midday today. I handed in my voting papers with half an hour to spare. I admit that my voting was a last minute rush job, but I did it.
Reported voting numbers vary but generally seem to be down again. Initial totals for Dunedin:
- 2010: 52.96%
- 2013: 43.49%
- 2016: 45.17%
- 2019: 42.29%
So possibly the lowest turnout recorded. There will be combined factors, including postal voting, too many candidates that most voters know nothing or very ,little about, and a voting system (STV) that requires ranking of candidates, which is quite complex especially when you know little to nothing about most candidates.
Results will become known later today.
Many results are linked here at electionz.com
Stuff – Local body elections 2019: Who’s in and who’s out in your local government?
Wellington’s mayoral race has turned into a nail biter, with Andy Foster just ahead of incumbent Justin Lester.
With 90 per cent of votes counted, the Sir Peter Jackson-backed Foster is leading Lester by 715 votes.
But, with 5563 last minute and special votes yet to be counted, the mayoral chains could still stay around Lester’s neck for a second term.
A bit of a surprise perhaps, but Lester had some problems with conflicts with Labour party influence.
Phil Goff has retained the Auckland mayoralty, comfortably defeating his main challenger and one-time Labour caucus colleague John Tamihere.
Goff won with a margin of 155,957 to 70,000 votes, beating Tamihere and 19 other candidates.
Not a surprise. I don’t think Goff has been a great mayor, but as with many contests the opposition was weak.
Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel has fought the mood for change and won back her job for another three years.
Dalziel has romped home with a clear majority of 44,811 votes in the 2019 local body elections. Her next closest rival, businessman Darryll Park, received 28,260 votes. Veteran activist John Minto was third with 8739 votes.
Also not a surprise.
Sir Tim Shadbolt has now won the Invercargill mayoralty for the ninth time.
Is there no one younger and better in Invercargill? Obviously not standing for mayor.
Paula Southgate is Hamilton’s new mayor, defeating incumbent Andrew King.
Progress results show Southgate got 11,079 votes, a clear majority over second-placed King on 8606 votes.
King mustn’t have been doing enough to retain support of enough voters.
Aaron Hawkins is 35 years old, a vegetarian, cannot drive and often hitch-hikes to work.
He’s also now Dunedin’s mayor.
He’s the first ever to be elected on a Green ticket, party co-leader James Shaw says.
Also not a surprise. It was a generally disappointing field of 14 candidates, with no other standout apart from Lee Vandervis, who led after a number of iterations in the count until transfers from other candidates shifted the lead to Hawkins. Vandervis is back on council, but I think is too abrasive and volatile to be mayor.
Hawkins has earned some credit as a councillor, but also criticism as arrogant and condescending towards newer councillors, and disdainful of policy positions he doesn’t agree with.
In a way it’s a big deal getting a Green party mayor (but outgoing mayor Dave Cull wasn’t far away from Hawkins politically anyway).
A mayor has influence, but only has one vote. The line-up of councillors seems to be quite varied, so Hawkins will have to work hard to get support for what he wants.
As well as a Green mayor there is councillor who stood as a Labour Party councillor (Steve Walker), and an ex Labour MP (David Benson-Pope.
It’s notable that more and more mayors have close political party affiliations. I don’t think that is a good thing. Councils have to lobby Government and often fight against national policies.