There are still many barriers preventing people from voting in local elections. Laura O’Connell Rapira proposes some social solutions. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. To vote in the local elections, I cast a special vote … Read more
The commentary around local election turnout is littered with misunderstanding. Yes, there’s a problem, but we should regard any suggestion of a single, simple solution with deep suspicion, writes local elections expert Julienne Molineaux The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Local election turnout in focus, NZ First hit with massive data leak, and finance minister unveils whopping surplus. By now it seems apparent that turnout in local body elections is going to be dire. Postal voting effectively finished yesterday, which means anyone who hasn’t yet returned … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Teachers to vote on week of rolling strikes, Customs gets power to fine people who don’t give up device passwords, and NZ values call gets bemused response. Primary teacher union members will vote on whether to go on a week of rolling strikes, reports the NZ Herald. Negotiations … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Big budget film subsidies here to stay, NZ First want pledge of allegiance for migrants, and police to investigate themselves. The government has changed its mind on halting ballooning film industry subsidies, after consultation with big budget projects and legal advice. The NZ Herald reports that minister David Parker … Read more
Yes, I’m lazy, and yes, I was motivated by the spectre of Trump, but it’s still surprising that I found it easier to vote for the US presidency this month than in the Auckland council elections, writes Madeleine Chapman. I’ve done a lot of voting in my 22 years of life. When you grow up … Read more
Dismal turnout in the local elections this month prompted various calls to push ahead with online voting trials. We asked two smart cookies on either side of the argument, enthusiast Ben Lynch and sceptic Nigel McNie, to elucidate the issue in an exchange of emails. Hi Nigel, I didn’t vote. In the past three years … Read more
A dispatch from Estonia, where the five leading countries in terms of online government are deep in digital conversation. The second D5 Summit is being held this week in Tallinn, Estonia. At first glance, it may appear an unlikely venue. After all, Tallinn is one of the oldest cities in the world, with the first … Read more
This story was published in September 2015 “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”. This is a refrain we should keep in mind wherever we can, because a little knowledge is not enough to know just how dangerous we can be. It’s for this reason that I find the subject of online voting so troubling. … Read more