Local Government NZ president Sam Broughton (file photo). Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Local Government New Zealand says it is clear local elections have to change urgently.
Voting turnout as of Saturday was just over 32 percent which would make it lower than in 2022, according to figures collated by LGNZ.
Final turnout could change as voting as provisional resuts continue to come through.
LGNZ interim chief executive Scott Necklen said they had been been calling for changes to the postal voting system for years.
"It is clear that the system needs to change urgently, before the next election," he said.
But Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said if people wanted a say on rates rises, they needed to vote.
LGNZ president Sam Broughton told Morning Report part of the reason for low turnout was voters having to deal with postal voting in the digital age, or not having access to polling places and not knowing the candidates.
The Electoral Commission should run all the elections in a standardised process across the county, he said.
"One of the key recommendations is that we should return to having a polling day, as well as the open voting beforehand," he said.
"We should think to match up things with the way that central government runs its elections - [they] have a much higher turnout."
Central government did better promotion at general election time, compared local government, which wasn't able to spend as much.
(file photo) Prime Minister Christopher Luxon Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Luxon urged people to vote to have a say.
"Democracy's pretty precious and you've got rights and responsibilities as a voter so if you don't register and vote you don't get to have a say too much on what actually happens," he said.
"You're seeing councils that have taken rates increases up on average across the country 12.5 percent - if you feel strongly about some of that then it's up to New Zealanders to decide that."
The government hoped to have an announcement on rates capping before the end of the year.
However, there were already ways councils could organise their finances better to keep rates in check, such as Auckland which delivered a lower than proposed rate rise by organising its Three Waters assets to allow more long-term borrowing.
Broughton, was ousted as mayor of Selwyn along with half his councillors, said costs for councils continued to rise and rates were the only way of funding them. The organisation had suggested new tools and it would like the government to act on them.
Auckland Council said the city's low voter turnout was disappointing, at about 24 percent at Saturday's count. It was one of the lowest nationwide.
Meanwhile, LGNZ figures showed voters in 25 councils opting to scrap Māori wards, with 17 areas opting to keep them.
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