One third vote before Election Day
Electoral Commission's staggering stats show our Election Day news and advertising rules are out of date.
If you're voting today, your delicate sensibilities and feeble mind are being protected against undue influence.
Under the Electoral Act, no political advertising is allowed on Election Day.
And media can't run political stories — or at least articles featuring candidates' opinions, or editorialising about how to vote.
Problem: a staggering 717,579 people had cast an advance vote between September 3 and September 19, including 160,000 yesterday.
If roughly the same number of people participate as in 2011, when 2.23 million cast a ballot, that means 32% have already cast their vote.
In 2011, just 334,558 advance votes were cast. The election before that, just 270,427.
One person involved in the election process, whom I can't name on Election Day, says the advance voting trend shows means the rules covering campaign advertising and media will have to change.
This is perhaps the one time I agree with her.
Why more are voting early
There will be perhaps be at least one political party hoping the surge in advance voting means young people are turning out in much greater numbers.
But in truth, it's more likely to have stemmed from two (related) changes to the advance voting system.
One is that anyone could cast an early vote this time around. Previously, you've had to state that you would be busy on election day (albeit with no proof required).
Two, there were far more early voting booths this time around.
Those were sensible changes. Anything that encourages higher participation is good.
In the Auckland CBD, there were three advance polling booths, including one on the Auckland University campus, and one on the AUT University campus. And it can't have hurt that this election is the first election in a generation to be held during term time for tertiary students. Yet I've also talked to many of my (no longer very student) age who cast an early ballot. My suspicion is that the huge increase in advance voting is a result of the rule changes, and that it's happening across the demographic board.
The Electoral Commission's target timeframe for delivering preliminary results is:
● by 8.30pm all advance vote results (around one third of voters cast an early ballot)
● by 10.00pm results from 50% of voting places
● by 11.30pm results from 100% of voting places
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One third vote before Election Day
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