Paying voters one solution to New Zealand's election apathy

Paying voters is one of a radical suite of changes being urged to lift the country's dismal local body election turn out. 

Democracy is too important to allow apathy or ignorance to let it wither away, say two political scientists. 

There is no single fix, instead a range of solutions need to be looked at they say.

They include paying voters, rethinking the whole rates system, Americanising our politics to be able to 'recall' mayors who prove useless and pushing more civic teaching into schools.

READ MORE:
* Labour considers compulsory voting
* Academic: low turnout, don't despair
* Aussie voting down despite compulsion

LOW TURNOUT

Averaged out across the country's six most populous cities, excluding as yet uncounted special votes, just over 40 per cent of enrolled voters bothered voting in Saturday's 2016 local body elections.

Despite newly elected mayors claiming mandates from the electorate - the numbers of votes they each won is minimal.

Christchurch's Lianne Dalziel won 30 per cent of actual voters, Wellington's Justin Lester just 22 per cent and Auckland's new mayor Phil Goff's voter support hovers around 18 per cent amongst eligible Auckland voters.

In Tauranga and Hamilton the elected mayors clock-in at 10 and 9 per cent eligible voter support respectively.

"We need a wide conversation about this, no one solution by itself is going to solve this problem [like online voting], we need a matrix of improvements or tweaks," said University Of Otago's Dr Bryce Edwards.

People should be wary of focussing on "technocratic" solutions like voting rules when New Zealand also needs "political solutions" re-shaping local government political culture, he said.

COMPULSORY VOTING

Vote or be fined is the Aussie way.

University of Auckland's Professor Jennifer Curtin lived and taught politics in Australia for 13 years. She is a convert to Aussie's compulsory voter turn-out laws, which includes most local body elections

She wants it introduced here. 

At Australia's last general election 94 per cent of enrolled voters showed up at the ballot box – the 6 per cent who didn't can cop a $20 to $50 fine.

Compulsory voting was introduced in 1925 across the Tasman. Curtin said most Australians now see voting as a "civic duty."

"Compulsory voting isn't anymore resisted than say doing jury duty, paying tax, or stopping at a red light," she said.

PAY VOTERS

But Bryce Edwards believes compulsory voting is a "non-starter" given New Zealand's anti-authoritarian culture.

Rather than punish those who fail to turn-up to vote, Edwards suggests those who do vote could be financially rewarded by the government.

Fining non-voters was "all about coercion and punishment, we need to think about carrots."

He proposes giving voters tax credits or straight out payments.

"It's doable," he said.

DUMP RATES - INTRODUCE LOCAL GOVT TAX

It's like free-to-air television versus Netflix - you care a lot more when you're paying for services.

But would that work for local government too?

Councils are funded by rates. But rates are only levied on property owners and businesses. 

That leaves a whole lot of residents who don't for local government and have no skin in the game when it comes to voting.

If those residents had to pay a local government tax they'd care more about voting, Edwards said.

Curtin thinks Edward's local government tax idea is "interesting".

Overseas such taxes have attracted controversy. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher faced riots when she tried to introduce a 'poll tax.'

TEACH THE KIDS ABOUT VOTING

Every year thousands of school leavers become eligible to vote yet many have little or no idea how central or local government works, so how can you expect them to vote?

Curtin said introducing civics education at year 9 and 10 is "very important".

"I think it's a no-brainer that we need a greater amount of education for citizens about politics and democracy, our education system hasn't really got a uniform and robust programme at the moment," Edwards said.

"We do have to be careful that we don't introduce a form of state indoctrination and propaganda though".

BRING NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES IN 

"The one thing" that could help transform and encourage local voting is by getting open involvement  by national level political parties, Edwards said.

"The drawbacks of getting parties involved are outweighed by having them involved, political parties despite their problems still have roots in local communities."

New Zealand's parliamentary political parties with their well-developed political brands would offer voters confused by 'independent' local body politicians a "short-cut" on deciding who to vote for, Edwards said.

Unlike independents, large political parties also have the resources to develop and implement well-researched policies, he said.

AMERICANISING KIWI POLITICS

Having convinced candidates to show their true political colours aligning with their political party, primary style run-offs to select local body candidates could help ensure voters know a candidate is the real-deal, Edwards said.

Also giving New Zealand voters the chance to 'recall' unpopular elected local body politicians mid-term like Americans can could remove fears about voting in the first place, he said.

"There's a feeling at the moment that people are fearful of voting in someone who ends up being unaccountable".