Māori advocates are concerned about recent news that the election company who distributes voter information booklets for Whanganui District Council failed to include candidate information about the Māori ward candidates.
Voters around the country are receiving their postal voting packs this week for local elections closing on October 11. Packs include a candidate profile booklet to assist voters in making their decision. However, the booklets for Whanganui District Council excluded profiles on the Māori ward candidates.
It is understood that the South Wairarapa District Council voting packs are also missing voter information on their Māori ward candidates.
Election company, Electionz has since taken responsibility for the Whanganui District Council booklets, claiming “an error occurred in the proofing and printing process.”
Kassie Hartendorp, Director for ActionStation says that this has far-reaching consequences particularly during a local election that is requiring voters to decide on whether to keep Māori wards in referendums.
“This election is existential for many Māori candidates – particularly in the Whanganui region. All voters are being asked whether Māori should be allowed representation through Māori Wards – meanwhile, the Māori ward candidates have literally been erased from the information provided to them.
“We’ve heard from local communities that seeing Māori ward candidates will make a difference whether they vote to keep the Māori Ward seat – so this may influence the referendum results.”
She says that our democratic processes are currently failing Māori, especially following Māori voters being removed from the Māori roll, or dropping off the roll entirely.
Tina Ngata, speaking for Vote Te Tiriti has also made comment.
“Whether it is human error or not, the impact is an irrevocable bias against Māori candidates, which cannot be remedied by sending their profiles out later. These candidates have worked doubly hard to campaign not just for themselves but for the retention of their wards, and it’s unacceptable to have that work undermined.
“Vote Te Tiriti informs voters of local candidates who support Te Tiriti o Waitangi. To date nearly 200 candidates have signed their names up showing a groundswell of Te Tiriti positive candidates.
“A good number of our Tiriti positive candidates are not Māori, they come from a wide range of communities, and have pledged their support for Māori Wards as a measure of Tiriti justice. Te Tiriti o Waitangi has never been just a Māori issue, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that Tiriti justice matters across all communities in Aotearoa.”
Advocates call for a formal investigation into the error and for practical steps to be put in place to ensure that Māori ward candidates are not further disadvantaged and that the referendums are not affected as a result.