​Fewer one-stop shops for voters this year, council staff say

 After local candidates were found campaigning next to Auckland Council’s one-stop shops for voters last election, council staff said there would be fewer this year.

The one-stop shops were set up at locations around Auckland for people to register and vote at the same time.

Cr Wayne Walker raised the issue at the Governing Body meeting on July 28 and said Auckland Council had a booth set up at the University of Auckland.

“In the immediate vicinity, there were candidates seeking for the public to vote for them,” Walker said.
“This is not desirable or fair… How will the organisation make sure that sort of behaviour does not happen again?”

Council manager for governance services Rose Leonard said she was aware of the issue and had a close eye on it.

“We had no idea that people were going to be campaigning and standing near our booth,” Leonard said.

“We will be doing far fewer of those one-stop shops because they are very difficult to control and manage.”

​Auckland’s local election is on October 8 and voting papers will be sent out from September 16.