Non-resident ratepayer votes give ‘disproportionate power’

A Dunedin mayoral candidate is calling for the abolition of a law granting some voters more than one say, in "pretty direct violation" of New Zealand’s democratic principles.

Green Party mayoral candidate Mickey Treadwell said he was concerned votes from non-resident ratepayers gave people with multiple properties "disproportionate power" over local government.

In local body elections, people vote based on their enrolled address and are called residential electors.

However, a person paying rates to a different council or on a property in a different community or local board from where they live may also be eligible to enrol and vote as a non-resident ratepayer elector.

"It’s a pretty direct violation of our one-person, one-vote democratic principle," Mr Treadwell said.

"It also means owning a holiday home somewhere gives you as much say in the running of the city as the people who actually live there."

In the 2022 Dunedin City Council election, 99 people voted as ratepayer voters while 48,034 people voted as residential electors .

Nationwide, the average ratepayer voter turnout across all local body elections was 85.4% — more than double that of residential electors (40.9%).

Mr Treadwell said multiple-property owners should be required to vote in one territory.

"Ideally, the one they live in".

However, the ratepayers roll could only be abolished by Parliament and a Bill from Labour MP Greg O’Connor to do so was voted down last year.

This election he expected a "slightly disproportionate" amount of votes in favour of councillors promising low rates and "less investment in public good" because of non-resident ratepayer electors, Mr Treadwell said.

"The difference between who gets on to council in a city the size of Dunedin can be 40 or 50 votes.

"Co-ordinated voting campaigns have, and will, make a difference to who gets on to our territorial authorities."

He pointed to a recent campaign by nationwide industry group Property Council, which called for people to have their say in the election "even outside [their] home electorate".

Property Council chief executive Leonie Freeman said the group was "simply educating" people on the rules of the system.

"We feel it is important that voters, business or otherwise, are aware of their voting rights.

"We encourage everyone eligible to come out and vote in this year’s local government elections," she said.

ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz