Voting returns

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As you may know, when the council receives your postal ballot, they then scan it into their computer system straight away, however the votes are not counted until noon on October 9th.

During the voting period candidates can get daily updates of who has voted from the returning officer, very handy data that you can do some interesting stuff with.

However this year they’ve upped their game someone, and are now posting daily counts per ward online. Check it out the WCC Voting Documents Returned page.

Turnout so far is at 10.62% across the city. While I don’t have comparative data from 2007 (does anyone? If so can you please email it in!), it does look like we’re tracking for a record low turnout.

So please, remind all your family, friends and colleagues to vote!

19 responses to “Voting returns”

  2. Incroyable! Any info on the history of local govt turnouts over the decades to compare with? Must be time to start teaching civics in schools, or add a “none of the above” option and make it compulsory, but surely something must be done, or we’ll end up with a short french man running the country.

  4. hah, Richard – funniest thing i’ve read all day.

    I guess Stephen Franks will be happy that plebs aren’t voting.

  6. Kris, Here’s a good comparative table for Wellington for the last 3 elections. Turnout was 48% in 2001, 42% in 2004 and only 40% in 2007. There are comparisons that go back further which show voting rates over 50%.

    http://www.localcouncils.govt.nz/LGIP.nsf/wpg_url/Councils-A-Z-Councils-Wellington-City-Council-E1.

    Detailed and actual results can be found here. Don’t be put off by Tawa in the title, that’s just the last election held: the 2009 Tawa Board election. I note for others that Thomas Morgan only polled 141. Better luck in Southern Ward. All the other elections are listed.

    http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/elections/results/2009tawa.html.

    You will be surprised that 2008 general election candidate Stephen Franks likes low voter turnout and disapproves of state funded campaigns to encourage voting as it increases the number of “low grade” votes by left leaning voters. A view likely to be popular among right leaning candidates like John Bishop and Adam Cunningham.

  7. John Bishop’s latest FB message says that turnout is very low so far and makes the point that low turn-out favours incumbents, which is true. So its in his interests for a high turnout.

    But keep the smear campaign going against the right, Johnny. It’s funny.

  8. Call it what you want. I am on record supporting Ian McKinnon and have voted for him in the past. I don’t like extreme politicians be they former ACT MPs and staff like Franks and Bishop, or failed ex Labour councillors like Shaw and Ritchie. More information about candidates is good, whatever complexion you want to put on it.

  10. So far 14.07% of the eligible voting papers have been returned. This compares with 12.73% returned at the same time in the 2007 election. At this stage, it looks as though there will be a higher return this election than the 2007.

  11. BTW, as there is no postal collection over the weekend, Tuesdays returns are basically for papers posted Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

  13. An analysis of Mr McKinnon’s voting record over the last six years might have better informed your vote. I didn’t pick you for a tory, Johnny.

  14. I am not a Tory, a Green, or a Lab voter. The point of my posts has been to point out hypocrisy, and the histories of those who purport to be be independents. Lambton is the ward I have lived in most. I have issues with Bishop over his ACT links and his pro cycling stances now given his anto bicyle rantings on Jim Mora. Kris Price because he can’t be bothered to campaign. Stephanie Cook who is lazy, drives an SUV and promotes that single, crazy policy about feeding a city with roadside vegetables. Iona Pannett seems good but her car hating is a worry. I love cars. Marcus Ganley is honest about Labour ties and the loan sharks thing looks good, but he looks about 12. Adam Cunningham couldn’t lie straight in bed. He should tell us whether he owns Village Accommodation or not, whether he is a small businessman or a big one, whether he did anything about Flagstaff Hill or just put out a presser about a property owned by his finance company mate, and why he’s a slave to HANZ. Mark Greening is a tax lawyer. Michael Fowler needs a different hobby for his dottage. Ian’s done a good job and I disagree with his position on a number of things. The hard part is picking the other 2 from the above.

    • Thanks Johnny, but think you set up a ‘straw man’ argument against me in terms of my supposed car hating. I don’t hate cars, I have always seen a place for them in our transport system. I’ve just been to the launch of a trial of electric cars which I think is a really positive initiative. The issue for me is where we place the role of the car in thinking about how we develop our city (and cities in general). There are some undoubted negatives from extensive car use: terrible accidents, climate change, damage to urban form and heritage and so on.

      The Government’s plans to pump $2 billion into roading in this region is of real concern to me. The economics of these projects under the National Road of Significance are laughable and the environmental impacts will be significant.

      I look forward to the day when people choose (and are able) to use public transport, walk or cycle for the majority of their trips and leave the car at home a lot more.

  16. I just got unfriended by Adam Cunningham because I asked who he’d be voting for in the Eastern Ward. Seemed like a valid question.

  17. Johnny/Richard, I’d like to understand your displeasure at my lack of a campaign. 1. What’s the evils you percieve of this when so many other candidates have clearly campaigned hard? 2. What is it you want to see in a campaign? Billboards which convey no useful information, leaflets in letterboxes, soundbites on radio ads, buying other candidates’ names on google…and are these really useful?

    Because I make quite clear I’m quite a non-political type, and that I’m not running because I have a fetish for the game like some, I’m surprised that you’d expect me to do the political type stuff. Happy for you to give me a hard time as you should all candidates, but it would be helpful to understand it (if there’s substance to it).

    I have given an expansive profile on the web, and very honest on the record responses to all emails asking questions and surveys from the various groups and individuals (unlike some candidates who seem eager to please everyone). Admittedly what I haven’t done (yet) is door knocking (which I approve of highly! and Iona does very well), and I missed the candidate meeting.

  18. Fair question. Two things really. First, to be effective councillors need to out in a fair bit of effort. The energy that prospective councillors put in is pretty much the only proxy there is for how much effort hey intend to put into the job. This is both through just doing the hard yards of going to the candidate meetings and doorknocking and alike, and to a lesser degree the cost they’ve borne in paying for a campaign. A candidate who doesn’t campaign can’t help but give the impression they’re not committed enough or doesn’t have the work ethic (and we’ve already got Stephanie Cook and Haley Wain to be uncommitted slackers).

    The second thing is that being a local body politician is inherently political. You’ll have to influence other politicians and make deals to push forward your agenda. If someone appears to think they can get elected without engaging in the politics then they appear to not grasp the reality of politics. Part of that is not appreciating or giving enough concern to how people (voting people that is) actually behave. Being realistic about people is important for a councillor too.

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