Local elections - get out there and vote!

www.stuff.co.nz/waikatotimes/4231364a6004.html

For those who haven't voted yet, get off your chuff and do it! Find out about your candidates and make your decisions.

Did ours by post, thought we didn't have a clue who any of them were!

Quite scary when you think that only 20% of the population gets to vote in the folk who run our councils [V]

I try to get along to at least one 'meet the candidates' meeting to eyeball them and hear what they have to say.

Out here there were only enough candidates to fill the available spots! Hardly worth the effort of licking the envelope really.

only one to many for the council spots in this ward, voted in the two sittign and the local we know is a hard worker. then the job was to work out the WDHB candidates... first was anyone with medical backgrounds, then leadership backgrounds, the army guys got in that way then existing candidates we know do good.

There was one that got dismissed immediately after reading one line, theres no way on earth anyone in my family is going to vote for a filthy republician! We're a monarchy and determined to stay that way

Tigger I think the problem is as soon as they get in the power goes to their heads & their original ideas disappear, hence the apathy

That doesn't happen to them all, GM, but I know what you mean. I believe that happens partly because people only think they have tgo be involved in the process once every few years to vote - how about holding your elected reps to account during the time they are in office?

How many people ever make the effort to attend council meetings even once every few years, or contact their councillor to discuss concerns? We are more likely to write to the newspaper or winge to our neighbours, and then next time around get disillusioned.

Just depresses me that in other countries (eg Myanmar, to give a very current example) people are dying in their fight to win democracy, and here we are so apathetic that 80% of the population can't be bothered to even check out the candidates that they are the closest to in the democratic process... [V]

And I expect those very people who can't be bothered to vote are the ones who complain first if they don't like the way things are run!

do u think that all govts should declare their intentions before they are elected and if they want to bring in anything else there should be a referendum?

I was looking for the none of the above option though.
(the voting paper went back the other day, some research was needed, I am deeply suspicious of those who obviously know nothing of what they are getting into - some promises are a bit over the top.)

so long as they pledge to hang anyone who tries to make NZ a republic ghey'll get my vote

A little exageratted, but you get my point.

LAST DAY TO VOTE TODAY! Get that form in the mail, folks.

Return rate is apparently now up to about 28%, still not good enough.