ELECTION 2020: How to watch livestream election meetings in Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay Today and Indelible Creative Studio are bringing you livestream election meetings in 2020.

This has been an extraordinary year.

And with it has come a unique run-up to the October election.

In keeping with that theme, Hawke's Bay Today, in partnership with Indelible Creative Studio, is hosting two unique candidate events for the 2020 election that will be a little different from past election meetings we have organised.

They will be different for both our readers and candidates, in that they are livestream meetings that can be watched on Facebook.

We are not hosting traditional, public meetings for the 2020 election.

As a media business, we are wary of the responsibility that comes with gathering 400 or so people together in a venue during a Covid-19 landscape - even during level 1 (which until recently, we weren't sure if and when it was coming.)

Throw in the potential (small we hope) for a hop back into level 2, and we have opted to organise something that we know will take place, safely.

So how does a livestream election meeting work?

Well, it works when we make it simple for you to watch.

So on October 6 and 7, find your way to the Hawke's Bay Today Facebook page, and you will be able to watch Napier and Tukituki candidates live, via video.

Hawke's Bay Today and Indelible Creative Studio are bringing you livestream election meetings.

There will be an easy-to-find Facebook post that says #ELECTION2020

The event starts at 6pm - we will have the post ready for you from 5.45pm.

Unfortunately, we were unable to get all Ikaroa Rawhiti candidates together that week, into the temporary studio we are setting up, through no fault of theirs.

They are busy people, and it's a huge electorate. So we are working with them to deliver the same messages that other candidates are delivering via the livestream, but through our Hawke's Bay Today newspaper and website.

Wairarapa candidates will also get the same opportunity.

Hawke's Bay Today organises election meetings to help our readers to make informed voting decisions - the meetings are about giving you an opportunity to watch candidates and listen to their message. So little will change, in that regard.

Candidates will be given the chance to spend a few minutes explaining to voters who they are and why you should vote for them.

We are also asking candidates for their perspective on the cannabis and End of Life Choice referendums.

They will also address what they consider to be the biggest issue for their electorates, and what they would do about it, if they are elected.

And we will ask questions submitted by readers. Which is where you come in.
Send your questions to editor@hbtoday.co.nz

We will give preference to questions that can be asked of all candidates, that are relevant to their electorates.

Election meetings or events are about the content that candidates deliver for voters.

2020 might have been an extraordinary year, but when it comes to giving voters the chance to assess candidates, this election is no different.

Send your questions for candidates to editor@hbtoday.co.nz by 5pm on October 2.