Your vote 2022: Auckland voters turned away after special vote ballots run out

People were turned away from voting in Auckland last night because there were not enough special vote ballot papers, a community organiser says.

Marlon Drake contacted West Auckland community leaders to encourage people, especially first-time voters, migrants and former refugees, to have their say in who will lead their city and community.

Eighteen to 20 people, including some needing to cast a special vote because they hadn't received their postal voting papers, were among those Drake had to turn away from Mt Roskill's Whānau Community Centre & Hub after ballots had run out.

Community leaders who planned to come to the centre with potential voters after evening prayers were also affected.

Drake's efforts were part of a 5pm-9pm voter drive organised in partnership with Auckland Council and the Electoral Commission, who were offering enrolment and special voting services in one place.

"We didn't anticipate such a high volume of requests for special votes and because this event was the last on the calendar, there was no time to get additional papers to the site," council governance services manager Rose Leonard said in an emailed statement.

"There are over a hundred combinations of voting papers for the Auckland local election and the number produced by the electoral office and provided to the council for our events was based on numbers from previous elections with a percentage increase based on the increase in electors."

Those unable to vote last night were told to go to another voting location for special votes this morning, before the polls closed at noon, she said.

Heartbroken to have had to turn away potential voters, including first time migrant and refugee voters tonight due to a lack of ballot papers.

The Auckland Council staff were amazing! But the privatizing of the election process and the lack of staff is a systemic failure.

— Marlon Drake (@MarlonCDrake) October 7, 2022

There has been criticism of the postal voting system used in New Zealand local body elections as it disadvantages people who may already be marginalised, such as the poor and those with housing insecurity, and the young.

The voter drive was not the first Drake had been involved in, with one the previous Friday seeing 60 people tick their ballot papers, and they had let the council know a week in advance they were aiming to get two or three times that number yesterday, Drake said.

Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, councils are required to appoint an electoral officer to carry out election-related duties, including running the elections.

Most contract private companies to do this, according to the Governance Manual on Auckland Council's website.

The Auckland contract is held by private company Independent Elections Services, with Dale Ofsoske - its managing director - appointed by councillors and the mayor as electoral officer.

Ofsoske couldn't be reached for comment this morning.

Drake said 111 people managed to vote as part of the voting drive before ballots ran out.

Those who missed out were understanding, but the situation was wrong.

"It can be very empowering for people, especially new Kiwis, to vote for the first time. They've got just as much right to vote as everyone else.

"And for them to do everything right, including enrolling on time - and for some their voting papers hadn't shown up ... it's just really sad."

Work commitments meant not everyone could return for another go this morning, and he feared some would be put off voting for good, Drake said.

Some were also reporting on social media this morning there were long lines to make last-minute votes, but Ofsoske said in an emailed statement everyone queued before midday was able to vote - even if that occurred after midday.

While he believed Independent Elections Services had failed by not supplying enough special vote ballot papers for the hub, there were systemic issues with how local body elections were funded and run, Drake said.

There had been low voter turnout for the previous two local body elections, but no changes to the electoral process, he said.

"City councillors didn't think to investigate or do anything about that ... this is on them as well."

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta wasn't available to speak this morning, but told RNZ last week there may be a review of how elections are run.

"Voter turnout is something we would always like to see improve but it's too early to tell. I'm sure there will be a lot to learn after this election about how processes can be improved."

Online voting had been previously looked at by the Government, but there was no evidence to suggest it boosted turnout in the long run, Mahuta said.

"So it's not something we're looking at again in the foreseeable future."

A ballot box was placed outside an electoral office in Federal St, Auckland, this morning for last-minute voters. Photo / Michael Craig

Mahuta was among voters who didn't receive their postal voting papers on time, or at all, requiring them to instead make a special vote.

RNZ also reported a North Island electoral official saying they were receiving dozens of queries every day from others whose voting papers hadn't arrived.

She was getting about 40 a day, a third of whom were adamant their address details were up to date.

Others were finding the system confusing and would be put off from voting, said the official, who RNZ agreed not to name.

The Postal Workers Union also wanted change, RNZ reported.

NZ Post didn't have enough staff to deal with business as usual, let alone a postal election, union president John Maynard said.

The union had been warning about short staffing and a lack of post boxes since 2016, he said.