Rotorua-based app developers Salt + Tonic director Matt Browning with the (s)elect app. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua-based app developers Salt + Tonic director Matt Browning with the (s)elect app. Photo / Andrew Warner
Candidate forums, meet and greets and debates are all good ways to engage with local body election candidates.
But a new app from a Rotorua-based developer will allow voters to talk to candidates from home, on the move or on holiday.
Today the app (s)elect will be available on app stores. It allows users to read candidate bios and ask them questions directly online, both collectively, and individually.
Candidates are grouped by different wards and boards and questions can be grouped by topics such as housing or community safety and asked anonymously.
Director of app creators Salt + Tonic, Matt Browning, said he had been to many live candidates' forums and people often missed the opportunity to ask a question.
"There are some really good thinkers who might have an interesting question you have not thought of.
"With the app, you can ask all the candidates together in one place," he said.
"Central government elections are not well-attended but local is even worse. So how do we engage the public? Particularly those not government-minded ... How do we engage people who don't usually participate but are active online?"
Rotorua-based app developers Salt + Tonic director Matt Browning with the (s)elect app. Photo / Andrew Warner
"You can ask the questions from home or work without having to go to these panel nights and you get a depth of questions from the whole community."
Browning hoped the app would allow for healthier debate, better engagement and discussion on a wider platform and he was interested to see how it would affect voter turnout.
At the last election in 2019, 21,208 votes were cast, excluding special votes - representing 45 per cent of voters.
The Rotorua Business Chamber will monitor the questions to ensure they are not rude, hateful, or repetitive, but candidates' responses will be as is. There is no moderation of spelling, grammar, or rogue capital letters.
It will have monitors in both English and te reo Māori to allow for questions and responses in both languages.
Browning said the business chamber could also use the app to get an indication of hot topics in the community for discussion at in-person candidate forums.
Rotorua Business Chamber chief executive Bryce Heard said the chamber was backing the app to encourage a "good, clean, positive election".
"We believe the town needs forward-looking leaders who are solution focused."
Heard said the chamber believed the city's four key issues were housing, employment, having a clear direction for the city, and positive leadership.
"We see it [the app] as a good way to allow the public to interact with politics and get candidates' thoughts as to where they want to take the town.
"It's basically a Rotorua-based Facebook to discuss the town."
Rotorua Business Chamber chief executive Bryce Heard. Photo / NZME
Heard said it was also an opportunity to get more young people involved in democracy.
Initially, the app is just for district council candidates, not the regional council.
The app is run through a platform Salt + Tonic created called EngageMe meaning the concept can be replicated elsewhere.
EngageMe strategy director Tash McGill said they wanted "good outcomes for our communities and our neighbourhoods — and billboards no longer do the job".
"People want to know who they're voting for and what they stand for, they want to know their vote will make a difference.
"When Kiwis are engaged and informed, they turn out to the polls and that's how we all help our democracy thrive."
Rotorua Lakes Council is the first to use the platform. In a statement deputy chief executive district leadership and democracy Oonagh Hopkins said improving voter turnout was a key focus this election.
"We know that a lack of knowledge about candidates, what they stand for and their policies is a big factor in why people don't vote. We also know that younger people make up a big proportion of non-voters.
"We're hopeful that this new way of engaging with candidates will help shift the dial and increase voter turnout at this year's election."
She said the app made it easy for voters to learn more about candidates and gave candidates another platform to engage with voters.
