Local elections 2022: Students disengaged with elections, only half consider voting

Out of 20 Wintec students asked, only seven were aware of the upcoming local election later this month. Photo / Bevan Conley

A snap poll of students at Wintec suggests the pending local body elections have yet to get on their radar.

Just seven of 20 students asked by this writer said they were aware the country was going to the polls to elect its next set of mayors and councillors – and only nine said they would consider voting.

But the organisation promoting the elections, Elections.nz, says there was a big increase in the percentage of 18-to-24-year-olds who voted in the 2020 general election.

Chief electoral officer Alicia Wright said the total voting rate, 82.2 per cent, was the highest since 1999.

The youngest student asked, a 17-year-old, appeared to have the most knowledge of the students polled; however, one 20-year-old said: "I don't partake in politics".

None of the students could name Hamilton's mayor, Paula Southgate.

Elections NZ has launched an advertising campaign for the election, largely avoiding community newspapers and concentrating online.

Nominations have closed for seats and voting will close on October 8 after postal ballots are sent out later this month.

Get more local election news with Georgina Campbell every Tuesday with our politics podcast, On the Tiles - Local Edition