It’s time to complete your vote and drop it in the return envelope at your nearest vote box by midday Saturday 11 October.
But something that often puts voters off is not knowing who to vote for.
To help with this dilemma, here are some suggestions to consider when swiping through candidates in the online catalogue.
Capability
Look for candidates whose experience demonstrates decision-making abilities and any other competencies you feel are important.
Being an elected member requires making many decisions on budgets, public land ownership, plan changes, cultural and heritage initiatives and much more, which requires financial, planning and local understanding.
Auckland Council’s General Manager Governance and Engagement, Lou-Ann Ballantyne explains, “Elected members are expected to absorb many reports, attend lots of meetings, talk to communities about issues that affect them and work with staff and colleagues productively.”
Representation and diversity
Elected members need to effectively represent Auckland’s many diverse communities – given the widely varying needs that must be considered in decisions for Aucklanders’ benefit.
“Each member should act in the best interests of the whole area they’ve been elected to represent, so it’s important they understand how their council decisions impact all people,” says Ms Ballantyne.
If you think there are groups within your community who need to be represented at the decision-making table, look for candidates who are aware of these groups and can do this.
Policies
Look for candidates whose policies you agree with on the issues that are a priority for your area.
Many important issues come before local government’s elected members - including public transport, urban growth, climate change, budget management and so much more.
Past performance
Take a peek at our webcasts of council meetings to see current members in action. Also, some elected members may have written opinion pieces, made public statements or featured in media articles that could help inform your choices.
Most candidates will also have social media pages where you can find out more about their community involvement and interaction with constituents.
Am I voting for parties or individuals?
Look for candidates who tend to reflect your own ideas, or who you feel would add balance.
Candidates who are from political parties (otherwise known as ‘tickets’) have been selected to represent those parties through aligned views and initiatives. Other candidates choose to campaign independently or establish their own parties.
For more information about candidates, check out the online candidate catalogue at Vote Auckland.
