Eight Councils moving forward with online voting option
Louise Upston has announced:
Five district councils and three city councils have been invited to demonstrate they can meet the government’s requirements for an online voting trial. If successful, the councils will be able to offer online voting alongside postal voting in the local government elections next year.
Whanganui, Rotorua, Matamata Piako, Selwyn and Masterton districts have confirmed their interest as well as Porirua, Palmerston North and Wellington cities.
“The councils must meet a strict set of requirements before they can offer online voting,” says Associate Local Government Minister Louise Upston. “They need to show they will manage the risks – notably issues of security and fairness – and they must preserve public confidence in the integrity of the electoral system.”
That’s a good mix for a trial of small and large. The population in each Council is:
- Wellington 191,000
- Palmerston North 80,000
- Rotorua 65,000
- Porirua 52,000
- Selwyn 45,000
- Whanganui 42,000
- Matamata Piako 32,000
- Masterton 23,000
Online voting will be an option for those who want it. Postal voting will still be available and no doubt the method used by the majority.