KEY POINTS:
Voter interest in the 2007 local government elections remains at a low ebb in the Dunedin city area. For every person who has voted, there are almost three who have not. And time is running out. The polls close at noon on Saturday. By Monday night, 26.76 per cent of voting papers had been returned, compared with 31.76 per cent at the corresponding time last election. Dunedin electoral officer Pam Jordan said this was "disappointing" but could think of no reason why returns should be so low. The turnout is similarly low nationwide returns across the country are described as "sluggish". Steve Kilpatrick, managing director of electionz.com, which is running 36 of the 73 elections, warned a lastminute flood of voting papers "will delay the final announcement of some results".
University of Otago political studies senior lecturer Chris Rudd said postal voting introduced to increase participation was a possible cause of low returns.
"It has been raised that if you have an election day, people actually focus on it a bit more. There's a bit more excitement."
But blaming voters for a lack of interest was not altogether fair.
"It has to come from the candidates themselves. They have to somehow mobilise people by offering choices and offering some reason for people to actually go out to vote."
He considered a low turnout benefited incumbent councillors.
Two independently commissioned polls on September 29 indicated that incumbent Mayor Peter Chin was well ahead of his nine opponents in the contest. One of those polls, commissioned by the Otago Daily Times and conducted by the Otago Polling Research Centre, revealed that, of 353 people polled, Mr Chin took 72.6 per cent of first preference votes, Cr Lee Vandervis 10.9 per cent and Cr Fliss Butcher 7.8 per cent.
Mr Rudd, one of those responsible for carrying out the poll, did not disagree with the proposition that polls could dampen voter participation.
"I would admit that there is evidence that if polls show somebody way ahead, that definitely could depress turnout. That's been shown in countries overseas.
"There's certainly logical argument with that."
Mr Rudd said in some countries, including France, polls could not be published in the lead-up to elections and Winston Peters had once, unsuccessfully, suggested they should be banned before general elections here. The argument against a ban centres on the right to freedom of speech.
Ms Jordan reminded Dunedin voters the election was not just about the mayoralty.
"Even if people do think that the mayor's a done deal, there are council and community boards and the regional council and the district health board there's more than that to vote for," she said.
In a brief survey in the Octagon, the Otago Daily Times found that half the people spoken to had voted, with the rest either not intending to, about to vote or not sure how to.
Voters can post their voting forms today or tomorrow.
Failing that, on Friday and up until noon on Saturday when polling closes voting papers can be delivered to the city council's customer services area in the civic centre plaza in the Octagon.
As well, eligible voters who have lost their voting papers or did not receive them can visit the civic centre and cast a special vote.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
