Auckland scraps postal voting for 2028 local elections

Auckland Council has voted to drop postal voting for the 2028 local elections and move to staffed voting booths, similar to the way parliamentary elections work. Booths would open during an advance voting period and again on election day.

The strongest fact is the price. Initial estimates put a 10-day booth-based election at between $31 million and $40 million, compared with about $16 million for a postal election. That means the change could cost roughly double, or more, what Aucklanders pay now.

Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson says the aim is to strengthen election integrity, improve accessibility and give Aucklanders greater confidence that their votes are securely received and recorded. The question for ratepayers is whether those benefits justify the bill.

The record

The council has voted to replace postal voting with in-person voting for 2028. Councillors have not simply accepted the initial estimates. They have asked staff to develop a model costing closer to $20 million.

To get there, the council is considering using its own employees and existing libraries and community facilities across the region. Staff are expected to report back in December. Final funding will be considered through Auckland Council's Long-term Plan process, so the money is not yet locked in.

The council also wants the Electoral Commission to eventually take over running local elections, rather than leaving Auckland ratepayers to carry the cost. Online voting remains a possibility for the future, but the council says security concerns mean it is not yet considered ready.

Open questions

The gap between the estimates and the target is large. The initial range is $31 million to $40 million, and councillors want something nearer $20 million. Which parts of a booth-based election can be cut by that much, and what would be given up? Fewer booths, shorter hours or reliance on council staff could each affect the accessibility the change is meant to improve.

There is also a tension in the stated goals. The change is pitched as improving accessibility, yet the cheaper version relies on a smaller network of existing facilities. How will the council show that voters across the region can reach a booth easily?

The integrity argument raises its own question. The council says the move will give Aucklanders greater confidence their votes are securely received and recorded. What evidence is there of a problem with postal voting that booths would fix? Confidence is a legitimate goal, but the public may want to see how it will be measured.

Finally, the plan to hand elections to the Electoral Commission depends on a decision that is not the council's to make. If that does not happen before 2028, who covers the cost, and does the council have a fallback if the funding falls short?

The other side

Supporters of the change have a straightforward case. Voting in person is familiar to anyone who has voted in a parliamentary election. Simpson's argument is that a staffed booth gives people more certainty that their vote has been received and counted than a paper form in the mail.

They can also point out that councillors did not sign off on the higher figures unchallenged. Directing staff to find a model near $20 million, and pushing for the Electoral Commission to run local elections in future, shows an awareness that the cost falls on ratepayers. Keeping online voting on the table, while saying security concerns mean it is not ready, is a cautious position rather than a rushed one.

There is also a fair case that the cost of running democracy is not only a matter of dollars. If booths lift confidence in the result, the council would argue that is worth paying for.

What happens next

Staff are due to report back in December with a costed model aimed at about $20 million. That report will show how far the council can shrink the price using its own employees and community facilities, and what trade-offs come with it.

Final funding will then be considered through the Long-term Plan process, which is where the choice between booths and other spending will be made. The council will also continue to press for the Electoral Commission to take over local elections.

The first real test comes in 2028. Until then, the numbers in December will show whether booths can be delivered at a price ratepayers accept.