Auckland Council Replaces Postal Voting With In-Person Booths
Auckland Council voted to switch to in-person booth voting for 2028 elections following voter fraud scandals and a voided election in Papatoetoe.
The Auckland Council Governing Body voted 13 to 3 to replace its postal voting system with in-person booth voting for the 2028 local elections. This marks the first time a New Zealand council has returned to voting booths since 1992. The decision follows a series of scandals during the 2025 elections, including allegations of ballot theft and vote rigging in Manurewa and the Ōtara-Papatoetoe local boards. In the Papatoetoe subdivision, a judge voided the election results after ruling that irregularities materially affected the outcome.
Mayor Wayne Brown initially opposed the transition, citing the high cost to ratepayers during a cost-of-living crisis. While some estimates for a 10-day booth process ranged from $31 million to $70 million—significantly higher than the $16 million cost of postal voting—the council passed an amendment directing staff to reduce the expenditure to $20 million. Chief Executive Phil Wilson cautioned that meeting this budget would be difficult and noted that booth voting may not necessarily improve voter turnout.
Supporters of the move, including Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chairman Apulu Reece Autagavaia, argued that the postal system is broken and that restoring democratic integrity outweighs the financial cost. Following the vote, Local Government New Zealand called on the national government to implement a nationwide in-person voting system administered by the Electoral Commission to improve cost-effectiveness and public trust.
