11 December close-off for electoral poll – December 2024
If you want a change of voting system from “First Past the Post” – winner takes all – for the 2025-28 local body elections, you have just days to make a case for change.
Under the Local Electoral Act 2021, South Wairarapa District Council has given the required notice to citizens that they “have the right to demand” a formal poll on the electoral system which will be used for the 2025 and 2028 district elections.
A poll would offer the choice between the First Past the Post (FPP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral systems.
“Unless a poll determines otherwise, the FPP electoral system will continue to be used for the South Wairarapa District Council,” it noted last month when it posted the notification on its website _ which many will have missed.
A so-called valid demand for a poll must meet several requirements:
* made in writing;
* signed by at least five (5) percent of the number of electors eligible to vote at the previous triennial general election of SWDC (452 elector signatures);
* include a signature, full name and the address for which they qualify as an elector of the district.
* delivered to the office of SWDC in Kitchener Street Martinborough, by 11 Dec 2023 “if the demand is to be effective for the 2025 general elections.”
So why did SWDC stick with the status quo?
First, money. The estimated cost of a poll _ $50,000 + GST _ is not budgeted so other spending would need to be cut on work, on say, the rating review or Long Term Plan. Officials advised: “Neither of these options are recommended.”
Second, the money. STV costs more to run than FPP.
The “not recommended” tag came despite STV’s growing acceptance at local body level, which officials cited:
“The Review for Local Government released 20 June 2023 includes the recommendation for adoption of STV nationwide for local elections. Strategically, STV appears to be becoming the preferred voting option, although majority of councils in NZ still use FPP.”
It lists STV’s benefits:
• STV has more equitable outcomes:
* the preferences of more voters is reflected in election results and less votes are ‘wasted;’
* more likely to achieve representation proportional to all the significant communities making up the district;
* works best for single member elections and at-large or large wards (5-7 members);
* for the mayoralty, the winning candidate has support from more than 50% of voters.
• But:
* STV can be viewed as more work for voters to rank the candidates;
* STV can be more difficult to understand, both how to vote and how votes are counted;
* STV takes longer to produce the results and costs more money;
* works best with a larger pool of candidates;
* early research demonstrates that STV leads to improvements in the representation of women.
Two options were put forward: status quo _ or offer an “optional vote” for either in 2025.
Option one: Council chooses not to action its optional vote and status quo continues for 2025 election.
Option two: Council chooses to action an optional vote for the 2025 election.
Councillors chose Option 1 _ stick with FPP.
Further reading:
STV Information – dia.govt.nz 152
All about STV and FPP Local Government (localcouncils.govt.nz)
The FPP or STV question rolls around again – Local Government Magazine
Taituarā STV and FPP: PowerPoint Presentation (taituara.org.nz)
Jack Vowles Publications | Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington (wgtn.ac.nz)
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