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While most young people are likely to recognise Shortland Street star Adam Rickitt, just as many would probably walk past Auckland's mayoral candidates without recognising them.
The former Coronation Street actor who now appears on New Zealand's most popular television soap opera was at the University of Auckland yesterday to add his star power to an Electoral Enrolment Centre campaign urging young people to enrol to vote.
Almost two-thirds, or 91,000, of the 154,760 people not enrolled to vote are aged between 18 and 24.
And while most students spoken to yesterday had firm views on who should be Prime Minister, nearly all admitted they did not really understand local body politics.
Rickitt, the baby-faced 29-year-old who played Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street, said he gave up a position as a candidate for Britain's Conservative Party to take his role on Shortland Street.
He told the Herald he might go back to politics one day.
"Whether it be here or in the UK, I've always been very passionate about helping people. I want to be a local MP for a local community. I'm not setting out to be the next president, I just want to be involved.
"I think whether you're an actor, a baker or a butcher, if you wake up in the morning happy to go to work then you're doing well," he said.
Rickitt cannot vote in New Zealand because he is here on a work visa, but he has applied for permanent residency, which will allow him to vote a year after obtaining it.
But he encouraged those who could vote to do so, volunteering to help the campaign during a break in shooting.
He said young New Zealanders impressed him more than those in Britain, where eligible youth were more likely to use their voting power to save their favourite contestant from elimination on programmes such as Big Brother than in elections.
"Most people are enrolled here and there's a genuine passion here, far more than in the UK, not only for voting but in making an informed choice.
"So many people can't be arsed once every three years to turn up and make an informed decision but I would love them to vote, I don't really care if it is National or Labour," he said.
"People are dying for this gift every day in the world. You've had it since birth, so to disrespect it and not use it then sit there and bitch and moan about the way things are in the world just isn't on."
Rickitt moved to New Zealand in January to play Kieran Mitchell on Shortland Street.
"It's like I'm falling in love with the place. It's the Kiwis that make the country what it is."
He has since bought a house in West Auckland but hasn't been so lucky in love. "I'm still on the prowl. I'm looking for a nice Kiwi girl," he said. "I'll get the dogs first and then the girl.
"You never know what is going to happen. If you'd have told me a year ago that I would be working on a show like Shortland Street, I probably wouldn't have believed you."
Among students at the university yesterday, Mhairi-Clare Fitzpatrick, a 20-year-old fine arts student, said Helen Clark had performed well and she liked her stance on international issues but she was unclear on what was happening come local election time in November.
"I don't really know much about local politics and I don't feel it's pushed as much as it should be."
Nineteen-year-old engineering student,Oliver Browne didn't know much more. "Was it Dick Hubbard's idea with the billboards?" he asked.
His friends Gemma Mathieson and Jeremy Amadio were also in the dark, although Mr Amadio said the council was "doing a good job with the Queen St renovations".
Ms Mathieson said it was likely that most students were enrolled, though many weren't "particularly fussed" about actually voting.
People need to enrol by August 24 to get their local election voting papers in the mail.
