Lorde deletes snap of her Auckland voting papers after breaking election rules

Lorde has broken the rules after posting her endorsement of Auckland mayoral candidate Efeso Collins. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi pop star Lorde has deleted a social media post that broke the rules by sharing who she was voting for in the local government elections.

Lorde, who is currently in the US, shared a snap to her Instagram story early this morning showing a voting ballot with a tick beside mayoral candidate Efeso Collins' name.

But for the celebrity, publicly endorsing a candidate risks a hefty fine - and the post has since been deleted.

She then told Instagram followers she'd been "told off" by a New Zealand election official.

"You're not allowed to post anything about who you're going to vote for or show voting papers," she said, before adding that "the post still applies - get out there."

"I'm proud to be voting Efeso Collins for mayor of Auckland," the 25-year-old had written alongside a snap of her voting papers.

"Local election turnout is low as always - get out there - your community needs you," she continued.

Now based in the US, the pop star grew up in Devonport on Auckland's North Shore.

The post, shared to her millions of followers, breaches the rules according to the Local Electoral Act.

Failing to remove it could have resulted in a fine of up to $5000.

This election season has seen low voter turnout, with just 16.7 per cent of Aucklanders having submitted their votes by October 3 - down 3.2 per cent from the same time in the last election.