Local electoral system gets strengthened

Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide today welcomed the introduction of the Local Electoral Amendment Bill to Parliament, prior to its dissolution on 20 October 2011.

“This Bill will increase flexibility for city and district councils to set ward boundaries in a way that better reflects recognisable communities and geographic features. It will also make amendments to improve the information provided by candidates for local authority positions. The changes are an important move to strengthen the overall integrity and efficiency of the local electoral system,” Mr Hide said.

Other changes cover the rules governing candidate nomination documentation; making important information about voting documents available to electors and changes to streamline vote processing.

“The Bill’s changes reflect recommendations from the Justice and Electoral Committee’s inquiry into the 2010 local elections and the Local Government Commission’s statutory review of the Local Electoral Act.

“The aim is to have the Bill enacted before September 2012 so its changes can be made in time for the 2013 local authority elections,” Mr Hide said.

Local authority elections cover the elections for district and city councils, regional councils, local and community boards, district health boards and licensing trusts.