Federated Farmers says it wants to discuss with Local Government Minister Rodney Hide the possibility of the cutting short the current three-week voting period for council elections, and banning opinion polling for the shorter period.
Federated Farmers says it wants to discuss with Local Government Minister Rodney Hide the possibility of the cutting short the current three-week voting period for council elections, and banning opinion polling for the shorter period.
"We are concerned the current local election voting window is open to such manipulation and I think the publication of 'exit polls' in Auckland and Christchurch, confirms my fear," president Don Nicolson said today.
Reports of the latest polls show Manukau mayor Len Brown is headed for victory in the Auckland Super City mayoral race, with a 32-point lead over Auckland City mayor John Banks, among electors who have already cast their votes, and a 22 percent lead among people yet to vote.
And in Christchurch, Wigram MP Jim Anderton's early lead in the mayoral election has evaporated since the September 4 earthquake. Local polling which showed Mr Anderton ahead by 50 percent to incumbent mayor Bob Parker's 31 percent -- among voters who had made a choice -- in August, now shows Mr Parker has a decisive lead, of 36 percent support to Mr Anderton's 20 percent.
"Publication of council 'exit polls' in Auckland and Christchurch before the 2010 local elections close, may distort results," Mr Nicolson said.
"According to a Phoenix Research poll in Auckland, Len Brown has more or less 'won' Auckland over John Banks, while a UMR poll in Christchurch, has Bob Parker a dead-cert for Christchurch over Jim Anderton."
He predicted there would be "hell to pay" on Sunday if the pollsters had it wrong, which was possible when voter turnouts were low.
"Why are our local elections treated differently from a general election ... it's time to look at reforming the time period voters have to return their papers in," Mr Nicolson said.
"The Electoral Act prohibited opinion polls on the day of a general election because of the risk that the results could influence voters.
"So releasing what to all intents and purposes are 'exit polls', could skew local council voting because it may lead to people choosing not to vote on the basis their favoured candidate is either in pole position or an also-ran," Mr Nicolson said.
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