Another three-year cycle (see what I did there…) is drawing to a close, and it’s time for local government elections once more. By now, you should have received your voting papers in the mail and can now ponder who to tick for Mayor, City Councillors, Community Board Members, and Regional Councillors. If you haven’t already made your choices, who should you vote for?
This blog is called “Cycling in Christchurch” and I work in the road safety and sustainable transport sector. So it’s probably not rocket science, which candidates I am likely to align with this time around. But everyone’s choice is up to them, and often you also need a bit of help to understand what policies people stand for. So, to help you make your decisions, here are a few useful links to help inform you:
- Let’s start with the basic candidate information. As well as the paper candidate handbook you probably received with your voting papers, you can also find information, individual statements and videos about each candidate on the Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury websites.
- One of the most enduring election policy platforms for several years has been Policy.nz. Covering elections right across the country, you can simply enter your address and it will tell you which candidates are standing in your area. As well as general information about each one (at least, the ones who respond to the request for information…), you can also browse their stated policies across a range of policy topics.
One cool feature of Policy.nz is that if you don’t want to be swayed by name recognition regarding who to vote for, you can switch to “anonymous mode” at the top to then view and assess different candidates’ policies in an unbiased manner.
- A few other groups have also done the exercise of interviewing candidates on various policies and then rating them accordingly. Of particular interest here might be the scorecards from Generation Zero and Spokes Canterbury.
- Another interesting website created by a certain City Councillor reported on how each elected member voted on various issues over the past term – it might not be the flex he was hoping for though…
Hopefully those links will provide you with some useful background information to help you make your choices. Mindful of the typically low voter turnouts, I guess the main message though is GET OUT AND VOTE!
Have you voted for local elections yet?
Great guide! Who knew choosing a local councilor was as complicated as picking a bike repair shop? The anonymous mode on Policy.nz is a lifesaver—like voting without knowing if the candidate has a penchant for velos or vintage bikes. And yes, Ive voted… mostly because I couldnt resist checking if my Orange Man neighbor picked a bike or a briefcase. Keep up the humor, LennyBoy! ♂️
This is a really helpful guide for anyone trying to figure out who to vote for in the local elections! I especially like the tips on how to find out each candidates policies on transport and other important issues. Its great that there are websites like Policy.nz that make it easy to compare candidates and see who aligns with your views. The idea of using anonymous mode to view candidate policies unbiasedly is a clever touch too. However, I do think the article could have included more information on how to evaluate the credibility of the candidates and their policies. Nonetheless, its a solid resource for staying informed and making an informed decision. GET OUT AND VOTE!